To Strive, To Seek, To Find and Not to Yield
by Catheryne
Summary: LoVe. Logan and Duncan race to find out what happened to Veronica Mars. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

To Strive, To Seek, To Find and Not To Yield

by Catheryne

Veronica/Logan, Veronica/Duncan

AN: My first VM fan fiction. Title comes from Tennyson's Ulysses. Also chosen for Logan and Duncan's drive in this story to uncover a mystery, as tables turn and the center of an investigation is Veronica Mars. Title is also a tribute to Logan's constant quotations of great English literary pieces (For a bad ass, he does read an awful lot of classics, doesn't he?)

Part 1

"Wooohoooo!"

Logan Echolls glanced at the back of his pad, where about three twenty-something year-old-men were tossing drinks with teenage girls. He laughed at the sight, then turned back to his partner. She was a gorgeous blonde, tall, slender, a hot up and coming actress who would be good investment. The girl reached up to run her fingers down his cheek, and Logan grinned.

"Go ahead, Lara. Get us some more beer," he requested. The young woman nodded and walked away, hips honey swaying as she looked back to see if Logan was watching her backside.

And he was. Logan Echolls would not let that pass.

He was living high in fame and wealth. Everyone wanted to be in his parties; everyone wanted to be with him. Logan Echolls had turned his life completely around after early upsets. At age twenty-two, Logan Echolls was one of the biggest producers in Hollywood. Where once scandal had been the ink that printed his last name, Logan now ruled. This was what he had always been meant to be, insiders said. He only needed to leave behind everything that close to ruined him, and Logan found himself on his feet, then flying high above the California clouds.

"Congratulations, Logan!" someone yelled.

Logan looked up and shook his head. "What? Marty, what are you talking 'bout, man?" he asked, chuckling at the antics of one of his new series' lead actors. Marty reminded him of himself when he was seventeen—only Marty was twenty seven now, pushing on twenty eight in a week. That didn't mean audiences wouldn't tune in to Marty. He was definitely bad boy material. Right then, Marty was standing on the backrest of his five thousand dollar couch.

Marty held up his phone and pointed at the LCD, as if Logan would be able to read from the other side of the room.

"I'm not Superman, dude. I won't be able to read that!" Logan yelled over the excited titter of the party.

"Hey everybody, shut up!" Marty cried out. "Gimme the remote."

Logan looked around at the four dozen people in his pad, and shrugged his shoulders. "Whose ass is sitting on the remote?" he demanded. "Hand it over to Marty over there before he regales us with his boyband days."

"Fuck off, man," Marty parried. "I'm not kidding. Give it up." The actor jumped in between the plastered couple on the couch. "I think I saw it here." His hand dove behind the woman, and slipped inside the dress.

"Asshole," the woman yelled, but giggled. She slipped her back under her butt and drew out the remote control, then handed it to Marty. "It's a little bit warm," she warned teasingly.

"That's hot," he murmured, then kissed the woman. "Nathalie, if you're going to be my leading lady, I wouldn't mind it one bit."

"Well," Nathalie responded, "that's entirely up to Mr. Echolls. You know that."

Logan dropped down on another couch and waved the suggestion away. "Just flip on the tv, Marty."

Logan's earlier companion, Lara, arrived with the beer. She handed it to Logan and asked, "What did I miss?"

"Marty's about to show us something, hopefully not his old music video playing on MTV Classic."

"Cool." The blonde sat beside Logan and everyone focused on the screen.

When Marty flipped the channel to The Insider reviewing the Golden Globe nominations, Logan sat up. Mary Hart read off her cards and Logan waited with bated breath as she pronounced, "And Logan Echolls' newest venture gains critical acclaim as he runs away tonight with four nominations, including Best Screenplay, Best Picture, Best Sound Editing and the coveted Best Picture award." The blonde entertainment reporter gave a brilliant smile and said, "Not bad for the once problem-child of Aaron and Lynn."

Logan's face broke into a wide grin. The crowd in his pad burst into applause and appreciative whistles. He stood up to receive the congratulations of his guests.

"Not too shabby, Logan!"

"So I bet you don't regret agreeing to work for my next project, huh?" Logan said aloud. "Now give me the remote before they start launching into a documentary about my parents and turn this into a nightmare." He caught the remote from Marty and as he was about to turn the television off, Pat O'Brien came onscreen and read off the next stories. "What did I say?" Logan muttered.

Pat said, "Coming up after the break, a look back at the horrible events that brought the Echolls kingdom crashing down—Aaron's arrest and Lynn's suicide. After that, what happened to that sweet and lovable girl who made a brief appearance in ET just ten years ago? Trina Echolls—from the drug bust, to the shoplifting—a sneak peak into the life of the Echolls sibling who just got left behind."

"Asshole," Logan muttered. "Thinking they can analyze everything."

"Just turn it off, Logan," Lara said, reaching for the remote control. Her hand closed over the plastic.

"And now, the shocking story that erupted just this morning."

"Fuck," Logan gasped, when images of his former best friend appeared on the screen, looking pale and harassed. He snatched back the remote control and turned up the volume.

"Stay with us as the heir to the Kane software fortune, Duncan Kane, comes forward with the admission that he probably murdered his own fiancé. Find out how this two-year-old mystery is connected to Hollywood top producer Logan Echolls."

Everyone else in the room dropped away from Logan's vision as he stumbled towards the large flat screen television, and the image of Duncan Kane sitting for his press conference. Someone clutched at his sleeve, probably Lara. Logan shook her off.

"I don't know what really happened," came Duncan's voice. "I swear to God, I wouldn't have hurt her for the world."

"Clear out," Logan said loudly, to his guests.

"She was my high school sweetheart. I loved her," Duncan continued.

"Leave," Logan said again. Some of guests, recognizing what Logan's voice meant, filed out. Some tried to stay, murmured comforting words, reached for him, even if they didn't know what Logan was really reacting to. "I said get the hell out of my house before I physically drag you out."

He walked over to the bar and poured himself a hard drink, listening to the television.

"I've cooperated in this investigation for two years. Now it's reached the point when I can't deny it anymore. I wouldn't consciously hurt her, but she's still gone and I was the only other person there. Maybe I did hurt her." Logan glared at the television and saw Duncan clutch his head. "I never would have meant to."

"Go to hell," Logan whispered.

The screen turned back to Mary Hart and she narrated to the viewers, "Duncan Kane. A bruised man. Episodes that always leave him with no knowledge of what happened moments before. Is it possible that his illness took away more than memories?"

The camera panned to Pat O'Brien. "The mystery that had been wracking the FBI for two full years—What really happened in Duncan Kane's apartment in year 2007 that ruined a young couple's future?" He turned to the next camera. "The woman who stood between two of the richest twenty-two year old men in the country and her brutal assault. When we come back, Veronica Mars' connection to Hollywood producer Logan Echolls."

Logan sipped on his drink and, as a commercial for Diet Coke filled the screen, he turned around and surveyed his now empty pad. He dropped onto the couch and closed his eyes.

_i "Logan, wait!" she called out. "Please listen to me."_

_He turned around and saw her running after him in the school corridors. "I'm done listening, Veronica!" he argued. He opened his mouth to say something, but shook his head. "Never mind."_

"_No, Logan." She clutched his arm. "Say it. I deserve it anyway."_

_He started shaking his head again. "I would have given you anything. Why couldn't you trust me, Veronica?"_

_Her eyes were filled with tears then. She did not cry in front of him though. "I was trying to solve my best friend's murder!"_

"_And to you, nothing is more important than that, right?"_

_Veronica stared at him speechlessly. "I loved Lilly."_

"_So did I," Logan replied. "It didn't keep me from loving and trusting you."_

_To that, she did not answer, although Logan suspected the truth. Veronica would investigate her own father if she needed to._

_He cupped her face in his hands, right in the middle of the school. Logan laid his forehead on hers. Then, he stared into her eyes. Logan kissed her, and she returned the kiss with so much passion that he was gasping when he drew back. "This is never going to work."_

"_Why not?" she demanded._

"_When I'm in love, I give everything. I can't hold anything back, Veronica. I can't stand it that you can't give me the same." Logan placed a long kiss on her temple, breathing in her scent. Then, he turned around and walked away._

_He turned in the corridor and slipped behind a locker. Logan laid his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. He peered back and saw Veronica leaning back against the lockers as well. That was when Duncan stopped beside Veronica and urged her to start walking beside him. Logan watched as Duncan handed Veronica his handkerchief. /i_

Logan was shaken from his reverie by his phone ringing. He did not get up to answer it. Instead, he waited for the machine to pick up.

"Logan!" came the sharp voice of one of his co producers, Allen. "This is way beyond, man!"

The television now showed Mary Hart again, introducing their puff piece on the Echolls family and saying that their feature of Veronica would follow later.

"Duncan Kane was on tv, admitting that he probably murdered his girlfriend. They were your high school classmates, right?" Allen crowed. "I smell a tv movie, man. This is great! I need you to pull the strings. Even now the networks are talking about another tv movie war like the Amy Fischer one. Get the rights, Logan! It's going to be a great lead in when you pilot _iNeptune High/_i next season. Gotta get your name up there. Call me, and when you do, you should have the papers already signed."

Logan turned off the tv and utter blackness blanketed the pad. The phone rang again.

"Mr. Echolls, it's Janie. I was going to finalize the shortlist of actors you'd need to interview for the high school series. I was wondering if you would be free on Thursday for the callbacks."

He pulled himself up and took the handset. "Janie. Stay there. I'm on my way." He put down the phone.

Logan stumbled out of his pad and grabbed his keys. When he stepped inside the elevator, the boy grinned at him and greeted, "Evenin', Mr. Echolls. Ground floor, sir?"

"Parking," Logan said.

The elevator boy sniffed. "Mr. Echolls, would you give me the privilege of driving your car tonight?" Logan's eyebrows arched. "Just to prevent any unplanned events from denting your vehicle, sir."

Logan tossed the keys at the wide-eyed boy. "To the studio then."

And when he sat on the passenger seat, letting the elevator boy whose name he really should find out soon, drive him to work, Logan tried to shake off voices woken by images of his best friend on the verge of despair, talking to police and the press about the possibility of his own crime.

_i"You want trust?" She asked, after sitting uninvited beside him in the cafeteria. "I'm willing to try, Logan."_

"_Don't kill yourself trying," Logan returned. "Some of us are capable only of so much."_

"_I'm going to try, Logan. Isn't that enough?"_

"_Well I'm not willing to go through this insanity again, Veronica. Find someone else to fuck with. I've had enough."_

_She tore out his heart and trampled all over it first, he convinced himself as he walked away./i_

tbc


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

_iLetting her go was the most gut-wrenching and terrifying thing that he had ever had to do. To Duncan, it was like finally grasping something solid like rope after falling through air endlessly… then learning that you had to open your hand else the rope would strangle you. Sometimes he thought he would have happily let himself be strangled as long as he still had her._

_It was sinful to think about it then, but he had been so tempted several times to just relish in the sin and beg her to take him back. _

_And he wouldn't have said a word. And he would have made sure nobody else said a word either._

_Imagine his relief and grief to find that she was not his sister, and he lost her for nothing._

_When he saw her leaning against the lockers, her eyes squeezed shut, Duncan knew that she had been through another encounter with Logan. He wanted to shake her, because she got burned every time she tried to convince Logan to get back together with her. But that was Veronica. She had a hell of a hard time getting over Duncan himself. Veronica didn't let go easily. She latched on to love like Backup biting into a bone. Once Veronica loved, she might as well die trying to keep that love._

_She deserved so much better than loneliness and anguish. Duncan walked up to her and handed her his handkerchief. She quickly grabbed it and dabbed at her eyes. He knew Logan was just at the corner, watching them. Had Veronica not been there, Duncan would have raced towards his best friend headfirst and slammed him onto the wall._

"_Your History is on the way to my Math," he told her. "Come on."_

_They walked together until her room, when she handed him back his handkerchief and thanked him._

"_Pick you up after?" he asked tentatively. "I need a lunch companion."_

_At this, Veronica slowly looked up at him from beneath her lashes, and Duncan saw someone he had not seen for two years. There was his Veronica—the girl he fell in love with, the girl who looked up to Lilly and adored him. This was the Veronica who represented to him so many things that he never saw in his own life until she stepped into his house with soft steps and laughed in that tender way she did. It was a vulnerable and transparent Veronica, and he rejoiced at seeing her peering out of the super-Veronica armor she decided to wear after Lilly's death._

"_Will you be okay eating with a girl who's thinking about another boy?"_

_He brushed her cheek with his thumb. "If it will make you feel better, then I'll be fine."_

_She smiled, then nodded her assent at his question. Veronica turned back and entered the room. She sat down and glanced back at the doorway to see Duncan standing outside still. She waved at him and Duncan smiled, then walked away./i_

His lawyers helped Duncan push his way through the reporters. When microphones were thrust at his face, Duncan waved them away. The police escort that he had been provided with ushered him into his car.

"Hell out there?"

Duncan turned in his seat and saw the man who always seemed to know where he would be. "Keith."

The older man smiled. "You didn't have to do that, Duncan."

"So my lawyers told me." Duncan glanced back outside as the car started. His lawyers were waving away the reporters, pleading no comment.

Keither closed his hand over Duncan's. "For all it's worth, thank you. But there is no hard evidence that he laid a hand on Veronica."

"Are you afraid I'm going to ruin the chances of discovering who did this?"

"At this point, Duncan, there seems to be nothing anyone can contribute to the resolution of this case." Keith sighed and clenched his fists. On his lap, a tick folder lay. He flipped to the first page and revealed the most recent picture that he had of Veronica because she disappeared. "I've solved so many cases, Duncan. I can't believe how helpless I am at this. Is it because she's my daughter?"

Duncan reached for the picture and looked down at it. He remembered taking it just outside the campus. She decided to stand on top of a marble table and dumped her camera in his bag. Duncan laughed and coaxed her to jump down. She had refused to do so, and made faces at him and made him chuckle, then chortle with laughter.

_i"Take a picture of me!" she called out._

"_Veronica, it's your first day," he said. "You're making a scene!"_

"_I was born to make a scene!" she declared, throwing back her arms and twirling. "Now take a picture, Duncan."/i_

He did take that picture, and after having it printed, Duncan had had it framed. Now it was on top of her father's file on her. "Have you ever thought that maybe it's true what I've always suspected—that I killed her? I was the one who last saw her; I was the one who had access to her; and I was the one who was standing at the edge of a cliff, looking down into the water when her car sank."

"It would have been so easy to name you suspect," Keith admitted. "But it doesn't make sense, Duncan. You had no motive."

Duncan's jaw tightened. He had revealed everything to Keith and all the investigators except for one thing that only he, Veronica and Logan Echolls knew.

Answers were all he wanted. It was that one secret that just could not voice. He did not want Keith to find out. Nobody else would ever know about it.

Like everything else that one wanted to get away from, the secret taunted him when his phone rang. He looked at the screen and saw the name he despised above anything. Duncan glanced at Keith, who nodded as if he needed permission to take the call. The older man looked out of the car and watched the road go by.

"What do you remember?" were the first words Logan said.

Duncan looked at Keith from the corner of his eyes. He turned away from Veronica's father and whispered, "I remember confronting you."

"Then what, Duncan?" was the next demand.

"What right do you have to ask when you cut her out of your life long before that?" Duncan parried.

"If you're going to drop a bomb like the one you did, you better be ready with answers," Logan hissed. "I've kept myself from destroying you because there wasn't any proof. You've thrown down the shield, Duncan."

Duncan told the driver, "Stop here for a moment."

Keith turned to Duncan, and the younger man said, "I have to take this call outside." Duncan climbed out of the car and answered, "I don't owe you answers."

"You owe Veronica the truth, and that's the same reason you spoke up today."

Duncan walked away from the car, as if the distance would assure him that Keith would know nothing. "I remember confronting you. And then after that there was nothing. The next thing I know, my car was at the edge of Ratisen's Point, and I'm climbing out, and looking down into the water."

"There must have been a chase," Logan concluded. It was the same conclusion drawn by the officers on the scene. "You chased her off the cliff," spat Logan, the one statement that Duncan had always suspected but nobody voiced.

"I loved her," Duncan said, to himself sounding as if he were on the defense. He didn't want to say it, because his feelings were not for defense. Even to Veronica he selected the moments when he spoke about them.

Logan's breathing was harsh and audible. "Loving someone doesn't mean you're not capable of hurting her. I know that for a fact."

The call dropped then, but Duncan suspected that having found out what he needed to know, Logan just ended the call. In his frustration, Duncan threw his phone on the ground, where it smashed into its tiniest pieces. He stomped back into his car to ride in silence with Keith until they reached the apartment he had once shared with Veronica.

"Please drive Mr. Mars back to his hotel and come back for me," Duncan instructed.

Before he got out of the car, Keith grabbed his arm. Duncan looked back. "You didn't kill her," he said.

The words, coming from someone like Keith, caused his throat to close. "You really believe that?"

Keith smiled tightly, then nodded. "When Lilly was murdered, I suspected you. This time, Duncan, there is nothing in my instincts that tells me that you hurt my daughter."

"I wish I can believe that," Duncan replied, then got out of the car and entered the building where he used to live.

The place breathed familiarity. Duncan rested his forehead against the closed doors of the elevator as he was lifted to the floor he occupied long ago.

_iHands closed over his eyes. Duncan grinned at the feel of her small hands covering his sight. He could picture Veronica standing on tiptoes just to blindfold him like this._

"_What's going on?" he asked, immediately bending his knees so that she wouldn't have to strain too hard._

"_I want it to be a surprise," she whispered into his ear._

_Duncan grinned, because every day was a surprise since he got back together with her. "You do know tomorrow is an exam day," he said, "so I hope this is not a party that I have to entertain for."_

_He heard the elevator bell ring, and Veronica led him out of the elevator and into the apartment. Then, he walked with her, turning at her command. He knew the lay of the land, and he recognized that they were on their way to the dining room. Finally, she took her hands and said, "Ta da!"_

_The table was laid out with matching utensils and gorgeous china. "I bought the food, so be not afraid," she said in disclaimer. There was lobster and white marlin, and even blueberry cheesecake. "Happy anniversary," she said. "And I don't mind that you forgot."_

_He had turned to her then, and looked down at her red-rimmed eyes. Duncan kissed her forehead and breathed in. She had been so busy the last few weeks, often sleepless with work that he suspected had something to do with investigators calling her at odd hours and mail that she would never let him read. Even with her preoccupation, she remembered the day that Logan finally cut her clean and Duncan passed by her room after History and took her out for lunch. _

_Duncan laughed and knelt down on one knee, then took a small box from his jeans pocket. "I didn't forget," he began. _

_Before he could open the box and speak again, Veronica had gasped and snatched the box from his hand. "Oh my God, Duncan, yes!" she cried out. She opened the box and stared at the ring inside. "It's gorgeous." Belatedly realizing what she had done, Veronica grimaced and handed the box back to Duncan. "Sorry, you go."_

_Duncan shook his head and said, "You always beat me to the punch, Veronica Mars."_

_She smiled widely. "Well at least you're not going to be nervous anymore."_

"_I wasn't," he said, blatantly lying. "Veronica," he said finally, "will you marry me?"/i_

Duncan opened his eyes when the elevator doors opened, and he took a deep breath. Directly as he stepped out of the elevator was the place he had once called home, and never called home again. He surveyed his surroundings, left in exactly the same condition it was in that last night he could remember when they fought.

Keith had offered to take some of his daughter's belongings back with him to Neptune. Duncan had refused. Instead, he had kept the lease on the apartment and did not move anything, hoping against hope that someday, his memory would be jogged by the familiar surroundings and he would finally discover the answers to his questions.

He walked over to the mantle, deliberately not turning his gaze on the dining room, because he did not want to remember her vibrant eyes when she accepted his proposal. Instead, Duncan picked up a figuring of a little girl and a little boy holding hands and kissing. Inscribed at the bottom were words so cheesy he was glad Veronica did not scrape them off, "First Love's Kiss."

i"What is this?" she asked, frowning as she turned the figurine over.

"It's purely for decoration," Duncan said. "And it's a gift, so stop frowning."

She screwed her lips. "We're not in high school anymore." When she turned the figurine, she saw a small opening at the bottom. "Ah!" she said in discovery.

"What is it?"

"We can keep messages inside."/i

He smiled at the memory, and placed the figurine back on the mantle. Duncan stepped over an overturned lamp.

iHe threw a punch./i

Duncan stopped stock still because it was the first memory that occurred to him of the night that he had forgotten.

_iThe lamp broke when it hit the floor._

_Duncan glanced at his fist and saw his knuckles scraped and bloody./i_

Duncan whispered, "No." Images of violence flooded his sight.

He had screamed then. Duncan clasped his throat, almost feeling the raw abrasion from two tears back.

_iShe was running. He saw panic in her eyes./i_

That, he knew, was the exact point when his world had blacked out.

_iLoving someone doesn't mean you're not capable of hurting her. I know that for a fact./i_

tbc


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3

"Where are those faces?" he called out, his voice cheery and excited, as if he had not just an hour ago demanded his guests to clear out.

"Logan!" Janie, the casting director greeted, "I'm certain you would adore this shortlist I have for you."

Logan approached her and took the folder handed over to him. One by one, he leafed through the pictures. On the third face, he mumbled, "What is this, Janie?" He stacked the headshots in two piles. "This series is about short, spunky blonde investigator. You've given me a whole of non-blondes here. You're not conforming."

Janie watched as the pile of brunettes and redheads was discarded, and they ended up with the handful of blondes. She took the pictures Logan did not like and said, "I was under the impression that the color of an actress' hair does not cut her out of a role, Logan."

He shook his head. "I had very specific instructions."

"These are great young actresses. At least see their audition tapes to see if they work."

Logan shook his head. "Nope. Now," he picked up the picture of a young woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, "she looks like our main character. Show me her tape."

Janie sighed in disappointment, because the other girls that Logan did not want to see were also talented. Still, a job was a job, and Logan was in control. "Alright. I had them work with Marty on the locker room scene you wrote."

_He closed the door of his locker, and she was standing beside him. He should have known, but he was caught of guard. He should have been expecting it because she had been catching him off guard since he had first met her._

"It's been six months, Logan," she said. "No matter how much I deny it, it's getting more and more obvious every day that you're not going to forgive me."

He took his Physics book and closed the locker door.

She took a deep breath. "I'm going to do us both a favor and not bother you with apologies anymore. I just… I'm sorry, alright? That's the last time I'll say it." Instead of walking away with her head hanging, she lifted her chin and turned her back on him.

And then he watched her leave his life.

"That's her," he said, as a final decision. "Hire her."

He left as quickly as he came. He heard Janie calling the girl's agent and delivering the news. "I don't know how or why but he just picked her. She's going to be Elizabeth Archer, the investigative reporter of Neptune High. It's going to be a hit!"

He was on his way back to where his car was parked, but he had one more stop to make.  
Logan walked through the corridors and opened a door. "Mac."

"You look like hell," the sound editor said. She stood up and flipped off the monitor.

"Thank you," was his answer. His quest had been to forget about Neptune, but the world had completely turned around. Now, he was surrounded by everything that he should have forgotten. Mac had been just one of those few inescapable remnants of that life. Until, of course, he decided to live in it. "Anything new?"

"I don't know, Logan. It's been two years and the trail is cold."

"Don't give up. Hire all the help you know." His lips screwed. "Don't tell me that this is one of the ironies of life, when you would say that the only person who can track down Veronica Mars is Veronica Mars."

"Just let it go already, Logan. You just have bad luck, ok? Two girlfriends dead. I loved Veronica and all, but Logan, you're throwing so much of your life away with this obsession."

He shook his head. "I'm not going to rest until I prove that the Duncan killed her."

Mac squeezed his hand. "I would be able to help you if only you can tell me the whole truth."

If it would help nail Duncan to the wall, he would. The truth had come out before, and it was only Veronica who ended up hurt. He would never have it revealed again.

_Since the night they broke up, Logan had not touched nor spoken with Veronica. It was then welcome closure to Logan to approach her so that they would finally be able to end that chapter of their lives and move on to the rest of their lives._

After the graduation ceremony, he saw Veronica kiss her father and go off to the school building. He supposed that it was to use the bathroom. It seemed innocent enough to follow her and wait.

In the corridor, he spotted Veronica and Celeste Kane.

"Going off to college with him may be the smartest move you've ever done, Veronica," Celeste said. Somehow, it did not sound like a compliment. "You'd be fixed for life—an apartment my son paid for, an education that our money took care of, and best of all, you can wrap my son around your little finger as much as you want because you will be the only one there with him."

He had wanted to step in, but he had not spoken to Veronica for so long for both their sakes. Besides, she had always been able to hold her own. "With all due respect, Mrs Kane, Duncan is a smart young man. I doubt he will let a girl like me manipulate him into financing my entire life. And didn't my college money come from the money you paid my dad to find him when he ran away from you?"

Celeste smiled. "Go ahead, Veronica. Duncan is still his father's son. He will get tired of a woman far below his caliber too. Then he'll marry someone we approve of and live the life he's always been meant to live."

Celeste had then walked away. Veronica just stayed still, then covertly reached up to dry her eyes.

"You knew what you were getting into when you got back together with Duncan."

She had whirled around and was obviously surprised to see him.

"Look, Logan, I don't have the time and the energy for this!"

Veronica started back out of the building.

"I don't know why you're putting up with her."

She continued walking.

"She treats you like dirt and he can't even defend you. Admit it or not, Veronica. Duncan had always been the best boyfriend when you were together but even then, before Lilly's death, he had never stood up to her. I would have done everything for you!"

At this, she stopped. Veronica turned around and shook her head, disbelief written all over her face. "Do everything for me?" she demanded, her voice rising. "I made one big mistake and you cut me out of your life!"

"He cut you off his too."

"Because he thought I was his sister!" she screamed back, grateful that they were alone in the halls and everyone else was outside. He had not spoken to her for a full year and the moment he finally did, it was to fight.

"That entire family has been treating you like dirt," he argued.

"You did it to me too," she sobbed, hitting him on the chest. "You treated me like I was worse than nothing. You killed me with each look."

Logan closed his eyes at the feel of her fist on his chest. Without meaning to, he grasped her wrist and pulled her close. He leaned down and kissed her. "You were everything," he breathed against her lips. "Always were."

"What?"

"I thought I could go off and start over somewhere, let you start your life with Duncan, and forget everything else. I can't."

She pulled away and looked up at him. "You've forgiven me?"

"I never stopped loving you." He laid his forehead on hers and kissed her nose. "Meet me in the Regent. In our honeymoon suite?"

She smiled and laughed softly. Of course he remembered. She stopped. "No, Logan."

"What?"

"Duncan—"

"Just come. I won't force you to stay. Decide later."

"I have to go," she whispered, and ran back to Duncan and the graduation party.

"I'll see you tonight, Veronica. I'll be waiting!"

Mac finally turned the monitor on again, and Logan's gaze fell on the frozen video. "Mac, what is that?"

"It's Veronica."

"I know it's Veronica," he said. "Play it."

He watched as Veronica sat down on the edge of a bed. He did not recognize the room, but he recognized the boxes piled behind her. He had stood on the side of the street and watched his best friend load those boxes into his car, once, long ago, in that scene he had so needed to forget. The boxes behind her in the unfamiliar room told Logan that it was the college apartment that Duncan had gotten for himself and for Veronica.

"Mac, I'm scared." Logan stepped forward and traced her face on the monitor. He saw the real fear in her eyes. "For the first time, Veronica Mars is afraid of her own shadow. I'm sending you this so that you can save it as part of a number of evidence I will funnel to you. Keep them safe, Mac. It's a matter of life and death."

"Afraid of what?" His forehead creased. Logan turned to Mac. "Afraid of what? Afraid of Duncan?"

Mac shook her head. "I swear I don't know. She never got around to sending them to me."

Logan knew, with complete certainty, that it was Duncan Kane. He was the one with the access and definitely the motive.

_"You came."_

"I came because I need to tell you to leave me alone, Logan. I'm with Duncan now. I'm leaving tomorrow with Duncan."

He took her hand and brushed a kiss against her knuckles. "Just come on in. You can decide later."

Veronica warily glanced at both sides of the corridor. She stepped in. "Logan, I—"

He kissed her, and her arms reached up around his shoulders. She kicked the door closed.

"Oh God," she gasped. "I thought I've recovered," she breathed in between her moans and sighs. 

"Recovered from what?" he chuckled.

"My addiction to you," was the simple answer.

"Must mean I'm a junkie," he said, "because I've lived this past year only on memories of us."

Duncan had found out about that night. He had flown to Hollywood and confronted Logan about it. The next morning, the headlines were filled with the report of Veronica Mars' disappearance, and the grieving fiancé who found the exact point where her car had driven off.

His phone rang, and he glanced down at the screen. He looked up at Mac. "It's Duncan Kane." Logan answered the phone. "I thought you smashed your phone on the ground. Who am I kidding? You can afford ten lines."

"Do you have any idea how much you've fucked with my life?"

"I slept with her, Duncan. I did it because I loved her. You remember that much," he said.

_"How could you?"_

Logan lay gasping on the ground. He saw his best friend heaving angrily, towering above him. "You knew, despite all the shit between us back then, that I would have fixed it given time. Veronica and I were healing. I would have made it all better. You swooped in and took advantage of that. The question is, Duncan," Logan posed, as he stood up, "how could you?"

"You hurt her. Besides, we were never meant to break up."

"I loved her."

"So you did it for revenge?" Duncan demanded.

"I wanted her back."

"Stay away from her!" Duncan stalked back to the rental car. "We're getting married."

Logan tightly shut his eyes. "Don't fly back," he called out. "Stay here and cool off. Don't go back to her like that."

"Why the hell didn't you stay like I asked, Duncan?" Logan said softly into the phone. "Why would you put her in danger like that?"

"Why didn't you ever tell anyone that you followed me back?" Duncan asked. Logan froze. "Why did Keith Mars find used plane tickets that place you in the same place as me the night she died?" Logan was silent. "Were you that angry that she chose to stay with me? Why did you kill her, Logan, if you loved her so much?"

tbc


	4. Chapter 4

Part 4

Duncan had admitted it to the world. Logan was no fool, and he doubted that Duncan was. It had been so long since that fateful morning when Logan was jarred awake by a nightmare that sent him gasping for oxygen. No matter what spirit possessed him that night, it had told him to turn on the television. There his best friend was, shaken, unshaven, for all intents and purposes grieving. Duncan had pleaded with the public, in words that forever branded him murderer in Logan Echolls' eyes.

He had no idea why the public officials never did anything about it. It had been so obvious. They had called him mourning; Logan knew it for a slip up.

_i"If anyone can help us locate my fiancé's body, we will give a very handsome reward," said Duncan into the camera./i_

"How do you know she's dead," Logan had muttered. He had allowed his anger to feed upon itself. Had he not done it, he would have long been broken by the series of events that happened right after graduation.

Keith Mars would have been the perfect help for a lot of cases. In this one, Logan could not even call on him. Duncan's would-have-been-father-in-law, talented investigator that he was, knew only as much as he would want to discover. There were many things about Veronica that Keith probably already knew, but would never figure in to his research. Keith was an intelligent man. Duncan would not have told him everything.

If revealing that part of their lives would help find her, he would. To hell with whatever Keith would think of him.

And that was when Logan had decided that he would seek the help of Veronica's father. He had not rested when the whole world told him to drop Lilly's murder case. Logan doubted that he had dropped his daughter's case. In fact, his own investigators told him that he had been working with Duncan to find out what happened. This time, Keith would have all the information he needed. Logan drove his car to the Mars apartment and rang the bell. He took a deep breath. He had not seen Keith since graduation. How much he knew, he would discover only now.

The door opened to reveal the aging man, who for two seconds appeared surprised to see Logan at his doorstep. He was only caught off guard for a little time. And then, Keith opened the door and greeted, "Been waiting a long time, Logan."

At those words, Logan met Keith's eyes. "I'm ready."

"You didn't want to speak before." Keith stepped aside and motioned for the younger man to come in.

"I didn't want to ruin any memories you have of your daughter."

Keith gave him a sad smile and ushered him to the living room. Then, he motioned for Logan to sit on the couch. "Logan, Jake Kane discovered that his daughter had been sleeping with her boyfriend's father." At that, Logan winced. Keith reached forward and patted his knee. "She had been a hell of a girl. Wild. Answered back to her parents and always was out of control." Logan nodded in recollection. He had been there. He had seen all that. "Lilly Kane got murdered by that same married man she was having an affair with. Do you remember how Jake Kane looked when you played her memorial video?" Like an epiphany, it dawned on Logan. Maybe Keith already knew many of the things that he and Duncan wanted to keep between the two of them. "Fathers want to think their daughters are perfect angels. When we discover how human they are, we don't really have a choice but to continue to love them."

Logan took a deep breath. "So you know?"

Keith shook his head. "Do you want water?"

"I'm fine. You know then?"

"I don't know everything. But I do know my daughter is not perfect. She's far from perfect." Logan's lips curved. "And she probably did something that neither you nor Duncan wants me to know. Therefore, it's bound to be something that you feel will disappoint me. I have to know, Logan. Duncan's not telling."

"I think Duncan did it," Logan offered. "I've been looking into it. His plane arrived back early. He had plenty of time to do it."

Keith nodded. "We've established that Duncan was right there at the cliff. What I haven't established is, other than Duncan's seizures… his rage explosions… what other motive would he have to kill my daughter? He's head over heels."

Logan closed his eyes.

"You came here to talk," Keith reminded him.

"Ronnie and I—" Logan's eyes opened, and Keith read the combination of fear and agony there. "Nothing ended between us, Keith."

"Wow, you two could have fooled me with how much time you spent together after Lilly's case was solved."

"Duncan knew we were still in love with each other. He didn't enter that relationship with a blindfold on. He had not right to do what he did," Logan gritted out.

"You're saying that you and Veronica had an affair?"

The word was so tawdry, so far from reality. "Ronnie and I were unstoppable. He shouldn't have tried to come between us," Logan answered.

Keith nodded his head. "Seems to me that you're blaming Duncan for a lot of things that you and my daughter had a part in."

"He blames me for what happened too. As if I was anywhere near that cliff!"

Keith shook his head. "Duncan was pulling that out of nowhere. In his heart he thinks he did it, you know. I don't think he did anything."

"You think I did it?" Logan asked.

"I think we can solve this case if you and Duncan will work together with me. No secrets. No lies. I'm old enough to hear anything you have to say. What do you say?"

"What does Duncan think about that idea?"

"I've already sent him a message. We'll just be waiting for his response."

Logan clasped his hands. "I came here to prove Duncan did it," he confessed.

"You got evidence for this?"

"We wanted to be together."

"Then why did Veronica leave with Duncan?"

_iLogan woke up with a smile on his face. He reached for her beside him, but found the bed empty. He sat up and saw her at the door._

"_Ronnie, where are you going?"_

"_Duncan's waiting for me."_

"_Are you crazy?" he demanded. "You're not leaving with him."_

"_Logan," she sighed. Veronica walked over to him and sat on the edge of the bed. "We shouldn't have done this. Sex doesn't resolve anything. It's going to be all about that with us. We're old enough to know that we need more." She leaned close and kissed him on the lips. "I can't be—" She stood up and quickly moved over to the door, then grabbed her bag._

"_Veronica, what are talking about?" He stood and grabbed his pants. Logan put them on and ran after her. "Veronica!"_

_She pressed the elevator button, and Logan reached her, then pulled her close, kissing her the way he did the night before. Her arms wrapped around him. She pulled away. "This is not a relationship," she said. The elevator doors opened behind her, and she stepped backwards into it. Logan stared at her as the doors closed between them./i_

"She had her insane reasons," Logan said. "They published their engagement a few months later. I remember reading about it when I was reading through the reviews of my film."

"You were going to be the best man, weren't you?"

Logan sighed. "We were unstoppable."

Keith reached up to massage his forehead. "You… had another encounter with my daughter."

"We were bound to live through the same kind of encounter over and over again. I think Duncan knew that. He certainly knew it the night it all happened."

Keith sat forward, because these were the fragmented pieces of the case that nobody had uncovered. "That night, Duncan came to see you. He wanted to talk to you about arrangements for the wedding, right?"

"Is that what he told you?" Logan's hand fisted. "I was talking to Veronica on the phone. She was crying. Veronica doesn't cry that easily. I told her that I thought she would give us the chance to work it out, that she shouldn't give up that easily."

"I know," Keith murmured.

"And then the next thing I knew, Duncan had barreled into me and was throwing punches. I shoved him away, and he had these pictures."

Keith frowned. "Of you and Veronica?"

Logan nodded. "He got them in the mail. He was in a rage. That's why I told him not to go back. That's why I followed him when he did."

"Oh Duncan." Keith took his phone and then looked up. "Logan, stay back. He's here."

"I'm not staying back anymore. I've come to prove one thing, and I'm going to face the person who ruined my entire life." Logan walked up to the door and opened it.

There Duncan stood, shaking, holding in his hand the figurine of a little girl and a little boy holding hands and kissing. "First Love's Kiss," he said.

Logan and Keith looked at each other, then back at Duncan.

"This is the big evidence that will knock any of the evidences that you will come up with."

"Duncan—"

"First Love's Kiss shattered that night," he gasped. "She must have come to replace it."

"You could have had that made. You ordered it."

Duncan tossed the figurine to Logan. "Open it. I haven't opened it. I ran right here when I remembered that it broke. I've been going back to that apartment so many times and it never occurred to me that that shouldn't have been there."

Logan looked up to Keith, who nodded. Logan slid the rolled piece of paper out. And then he read, "14B Woodberry Hall." He shook his head. "This doesn't make any sense. What is this?"

"Wait," Duncan said, "Woodberry Hall is a dorm. In our campus." When Logan was about to speak, he held up his hand and fished for his new phone. "I need 14B Woodberry Hall." Duncan watched Logan and Keith Mars interact, and noted how Logan turned to whisper to Keith. The older man clasped Logan's shoulder and spoke calmly back. "Are you sure there's no 14B? Alright. Thanks anyway."

When Duncan flipped his phone closed, Keith extended his hand. Duncan gave his phone over and waited.

"Hello. This is Keith Mars. I need to see the hall master of Woodberry. It's for a case that I'm working on." Logan and Duncan watched as Keith sat down. "Uhuh." Logan handed Keith a piece of paper and a pen. "Right. Right. Oh and what about this room, 14B? I think my daughter was renting it out. Hmmm… okay. I must be mistaken then. Thank you."

After the call, the two younger men waited.

"Well boys, you two are in for a treat. I'm going to need you to check out something for me."

"You need us to get in?" Duncan asked.

Keith pointed to Logan. "He's going in. He's not been seen around that place yet. They'll probably recognize you." Logan nodded.

"So they told you there's no 14B right?"

"Logan will verify that for us. You, on the other hand, will need to get any paperwork Veronica had lying around your place. If you can get the ones she was working on before she vanished, I would appreciate it. I'm counting on you, boys."

Logan and Duncan stood in front of each other. Logan simmered, and his eyes narrowed as he looked at Duncan. Duncan, on the other hand, alternated his weight from one foot to the other.

"Can I call a hotel from your phone?" Logan asked.

Keith said, "Sure. Although I don't think Duncan would mind your staying over at the apartment." He turned to Duncan. "You're paying for it anyway, better let someone use it. Besides, Logan can look through some of the clues so he can get an idea about what he's going to look for when he goes to Woodberry."

It was apparent that Duncan did not want Logan in the apartment that was exclusively his and Veronica's, but Duncan would never say no to Keith. "Sure," Duncan said roughly. "Get your stuff. Look through the place, but don't take anything. We'll see you tomorrow, Keith."

"Alright, boys. Play nice now. Keep your eyes open."

"Just follow my car," Duncan said, and left Keith's apartment.

Logan turned to Veronica's father and gave him a tight smile. "Thank you for listening."

Keith nodded. "Logan, that was the last place anyone remembers seeing Veronica alive. You need to see that."

Logan shuffled his feet. "What do you need me to look for?"

"If I needed someone to search through her things, Duncan would be able to do that. I want you there because Duncan has had two years coming back to that place. I think you deserve your chance to be there."

Duncan opened the door and called out, "Logan, we need to go."

tbc


	5. Chapter 5

Part 5

Logan put his bag down on the floor beside the door. He followed Duncan with his eyes as his former best friend stopped at the center of the room. Duncan slowly scanned the room, then nodded to himself. Logan wondered what it was that Duncan needed to check in that small moment of assessment. Then Duncan turned to him and said, "You can crash in the bedroom."

"Thanks," Logan muttered. "So," he said, walking inside and standing there looking at him, "you going home now?" He thought of how he just needed Duncan to do what he had to do so he could be alone. They had never been this uncomfortable around each other since Duncan had walked in on his and Lilly's escapade in her room.

Duncan glowered at Logan. "Hell no. You think I'm going to leave you alone in here?"

Logan smirked. "So when you said crash in the bedroom, you meant crash in the couch—because no way in hell am I cuddling up with you in a bed."

"What would Mr Mars say about my hospitality then?" Duncan replied. "No. You sleep in Veronica's room," he instructed, pointing to one of the doors, "and I'll stay in mine." Logan stared at him oddly, in surprise. "What?" Duncan demanded.

"You were engaged."

"Thanks for pointing that out," Duncan said, sarcasm lacing his voice. "From your actions these past few years one would think you never knew that."

i_"Go to page eight, Logan," Mac said, holding up the newspaper as she made her way to him._

_Logan looked up from his laptop and saw the paper that Mac held. Instead of standing up to take it from her, he surfed on over to the newspaper's website. "It may come as a shock to you," he informed her, "but I have an online subscription."_

"_And here Ver—and here someone told me that you don't bother catching up with current events."_

_He shook his head and saw the link to the story in the Entertainment section. A huge grinned appeared on his face as he went through all the acclaim that his movie had received. "There's hope for Hollywood yet," he said, looking up at Mac._

_Logan glanced down to check the name of the writer, when he saw the link that he often visited when he wanted to walk down memory lane. He quickly clicked on it to see if there were new scandals from the Casablancas brothers, or if his old flame Caitlin had gotten hitched again. He froze at the photograph that accompanied the shattering feature._

"_Like what you read huh?" Mac teased. "Logan," she said, when the brilliance of his eyes dimmed. "What's that? It's the floating mic in the porch scene, isn't it? I saw it. I should have warned the editors."_

_Logan stared at the picture of Duncan and Veronica that looked so trite, because he had seen so many other couples in the exact same position, but nothing had ever struck him the way this photograph did. Veronica grinned into the camera as her hands rested on the arms that wrapped around her waist. She leaned back her head on the chest of a staid Duncan Kane who seemed so dignified and proud as he gazed directly into what seemed like their Polaroid future._

"_High school sweethearts Kane-Mars announce engagement," he heard Mac read over his shoulder. "I suppose congratulations are in order," she said quietly. Mac laid a hand on his arm as a sign of support._

"_Can you give me a minute?"_

"_Sure." She moved to leave the room, then turned back and said, "And congratulations on the film, Logan. Remember how well you did."/_i

"I had respect for her enough that I wouldn't have touched her because I gave her the wedding she deserved," Duncan said. To Logan, it was Duncan's way of picking up a glove and slapping him with it.

i_She was gorgeous, the way he never wanted her to remember when her name was mentioned. This night was unavoidable. There was no way he could pretend she did not exist anymore after the announcement was published and Duncan had requested him to fly out._

_Veronica looked up from her chosen table and smiled tentatively at Logan. He saw how she worried the table napkin with her nervous fingers._

"_Hey Ronnie," he greeted, his voice deep. She stiffened slightly at the nickname that he used, because it used to represent so much pent up anger between them until he said it when he cried out in the hotel room._

"_Hi." Veronica looked around and then glanced at her watch. "He's going to be late. He wants me to tell you he's sorry."_

_Logan nodded, and Veronica sighed in relief, thinking it was that easy. "How about you?"_

_She smiled uncertainly. "How about me? I'm not going to be late," she answered._

"_I meant," he drawled, "aren't you sorry?"_

_And then the anvil dropped. Veronica took a deep breath and licked her lips. Logan swallowed at the sight. Before she spoke, he interrupted her by grabbing her hand. "Logan—"_

"_Let me see the ring."_

_She reluctantly allowed him to inspect the diamond gracing her finger. "You gotta give it to him. Our boy doesn't spare any expense, does he?"_

"_It is beautiful," she agreed. Veronica did not take her hand back. Instead, they remained like that, with him holding her hand as they stared into each other's eyes, for a long time. "Logan, you do know why Duncan asked you to come, don't you?"_

_That was when he dropped her hand and leaned back in his seat. "I think we're going to need some type of alcohol to continue with this conversation," he decided. When he called over the waiter, one came with wine. Logan sipped slowly, and then said, "Nice choice."_

"_Duncan's," she said quickly._

"_Bring me something hard," he instructed, and the waiter slipped away. "I know Duncan's going to ask me to be his best man," he revealed. "Being that I hate attending weddings, I'm thinking of the best way to piss Duncan royally off—enough that he'll maybe want to think twice about making me his best man." Logan almost applauded when his vodka arrived. He gulped a large amount at once, and thanked the waiter. Then he arched his eyebrow at Veronica. "Help me out, will you? What could I possibly tell Duncan that can be that bad?"_

_Veronica looked away. _

"_I'm sorry," Logan said, "where are my manners? I haven't even properly congratulated you yet."_

"_Don't bother," she told him. "Let's just get this over with. Then you can go and leave us in peace."_

_He shook his head. "I was in peace and your romantic tale flew onto my screen," he spat. "Then your fiancé," Logan emphasized on the word, "summoned me." His eyes left hers and he looked over her head at the new arrival. "Speaking of the happy husband-to-be…"_

_Veronica glanced up and turned, then gave Duncan a happy smile. "Hey Duncan," she greeted. "Look who's wreaking havoc again," she said, teasing, trembling._

_Duncan leaned down to kiss her cheek, then he reached over the table and shook Logan's hand. "Thanks for coming so fast, man."_

"_Anything for my best friend!" Logan announced in his jolliest voice. "So when's the wedding?"_

_Duncan sat down and opened his arms wide in surrender. "All up to Veronica. She doesn't want to name a date yet. I'm crossing my fingers that it's going to be soon, though."_

"_Well I've always though she will be a gorgeous December bride," Logan offered._

_At that, Duncan shifted his seat and threw an arm around Veronica's shoulders. He wiggled his eyebrows and dropped a kiss on her nose. "Hear that, baby? What do you think of a Christmas wedding?"_

_She glared at Logan, then smiled sadly at Duncan. "Christmas is too soon," she protested. _

"_It's seven months away, Ronnie!" Logan piped in._

_She pulled away from Duncan and stood up. "I'm going to the bathroom," she told him. "Pick another month. I need more time to prepare if you want it to be special."_

_Logan watched her leave from under hooded eyes. Duncan smiled as she left. He then turned back to his friend. "Valentine's would give her nine months. Is that still too soon?" asked Duncan._

"_I'm guessing with your bride's personality she's just going to tell you it's too soon."_

"_How long does it take to plan a wedding anyway? I grew up with Lilly. She always said once she decides she's going to marry someone she'll just whisk him off to Vegas."_

_Logan grinned. "That was my idea."_

_Since their party was complete, the waiter arrived and handed them their menus. Duncan took one and ordered two meals. He then looked up at Logan, who grinned at him. "You're that hungry?"_

_Duncan shook his head. "I ordered for me and Veronica."_

_Logan gave the waiter his order and looked towards the direction of the bathroom. "I'll be right back. I have to wash my hands." Without waiting for a response, he stood up and tossed his napkin on the table. _

_He rounded the corner to the women's restroom and stood waiting outside. He then stepped inside and saw only Veronica in front of the mirror, talking on the phone. Logan quickly locked the door. _

"_That's impossible. I'm going to nail their ass to the—" Her eyes widened when she saw Logan behind her._

"_Still business inside the bathroom?" he asked._

_Veronica curtly ended her call and turned around. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Logan?" She put her phone and her purse on the sink and walked over to him. Veronica grabbed his arms and tried to push him back out. "Duncan will wonder where we both are!"_

_Logan smirked and looked down at the small blonde girl trying to push against his steady weight. _

_She pushed against him with her shoulder, but breathed harshly when she could not. "Logan, get out."_

_He shook his head and chucked her on the chin in a gesture of affection so far from the Logan of a half hour ago, who seemed to get a high out of showing her how wrong she had been. This Logan walked towards the sink and sat up on it, gazing at her intently. "Are you happy?"_

_Veronica's eyes narrowed at him. "Do I look happy to you? You're in the women's restroom, irritating me!"_

_Logan held out his open hand towards her and waited if she would take it. As if in slow motion, her moist eyes searched his. Then, she stepped forward and laid her hand on his. He intertwined their fingers and pulled her between his legs. "Tell me you're happy, Ronnie," he whispered, pleading._

_She closed her eyes and waited for the feelings that would overwhelm her as his lips met hers. His nose was cold, and it was glorious the way it poked against her cheek. Veronica took steadying breaths as she relished how his lips searched for the pulse point behind her ear. "I'm as happy as I can let myself be."_

_Logan slid off the sink and with his hands around her waist, he lifted her onto the warm spot he had just vacated. "Just change your mind," he said softly, pushing up her skirt so that it would bunch up around her waist. Her hands joined his as he fumbled with his zipper. "Because I love you it burns a path down my chest."_

_She wrapped her legs around him and let herself sink down on him. "I love you too," she said. Veronica tightly shut her eyes as she lost the entire world in exchange for that moment. _

"_Think about it."_

"_I promise, Logan," were her words._

_He could swear he would win her. That was his thought as he watched their reflection./i_

It stuck in his craw, but as Logan looked at the young man who used to be his bet friend, he knew it was time to say it. "Duncan, I'm—"

"Come on," Duncan said to break the tension. "I'll show you to her room. Just be grateful she had it painted over." He walked over to the locked door and opened it with one of his keys. Duncan ushered Logan in. "This was a seriously pink, white and yellow room when I brought her here."

Logan snorted, then chuckled.

"You know," Duncan said, turning to Logan with a smile, "I think she had the exact same unlady-like reaction."

"So this blue and gray theme is hers?" Logan asked, grateful that the tension between them had broken.

Duncan nodded. "It was a shock. She always did like white and pink, didn't she?"

Slowly, Logan turned to Duncan and wondered how, for the entire time that he was with Veronica, Duncan never registered that Veronica's tastes had shifted to a whole new dimension. "Veronica became a very different person from who she was when she was Lilly's best friend."

"She was the same person, Logan—with shorter hair."

Logan decided not to comment on Duncan's belief. He would not presume to label his friend's relationship, because his eyes were jaded. "Man, why didn't you tell Keith you've already rummaged through her stuff? You won't find anything new."

"I haven't," Duncan told him.

"Then why is it so messy?" Logan asked, walking over to the desk and looking down at the documents, pen and papers on the table and even shoes haphazardly lying on the floor.

Duncan grinned. "Veronica left it like this. I never had it organized. I wanted it all to stay the same way."

That was when the remnants of his fury against Duncan cracked and shattered. Logan sat down on the chair in front of Veronica's mess and watched his best friend touch the jacket that had been thrown on top of the bed. Duncan had always denied change to the extent that he still saw Veronica—who had been to hell and back after her experiences with the murder, with Aaron, with her mom and with Logan—as the sweet, innocent girlfriend in her white dress. He retained the apartment the way it was because he wanted to capture that time in his life when he still had her.

Logan knew Duncan never really had Veronica. Duncan never had the Veronica that Logan finally had.

She tried to be the same person Duncan thought she was. In vain, of course.

_i"Veronica, what's wrong?" he yelled into the phone, his heart beating hard. _

_She sobbed into the phone. "He knows, Logan! Someone sent him pictures."_

"_Where are you?"_

"_I'm in the apartment. He left."_

_He breathed a sigh of relief. "I want you to leave and catch a flight out. I'll pick you up."_

"_I was going to tell him, I swear."_

"_Shhhh. It's okay, Ronnie. We'll fix it. I promise."_

"_God, Logan, Duncan didn't deserve to find out like this," she whispered into the phone. "I'm so sorry."_

"_Listen to me, Veronica."_

_He felt the punch come out of nowhere, and his phone flew out of his hand. Logan looked up at the enraged face of Duncan Kane./i_

"For what it's worth, Duncan, I'm sorry you had to get hurt," he finally said.

Duncan stared at his friend for a long time. Almost reluctantly, he nodded in acceptance. With no other acknowledgment, he turned to the papers in front of him. As she sifted through the pages, he looked up at Logan.

"You ever find out where Wallace is?"

Logan scratched his chin. "Surprised you don't know that he goes to the same college as you," he pointed out.

"I think Veronica mentioned that. Thing is, after that night, I never saw Wallace again."

"Seriously?"

Duncan nodded. Then he took out a picture from the folder and gave it to Logan. It was of Wallace and Veronica smiling inside what seemed like a dorm room. "Wallace never came forward in the investigation," Duncan said.

Logan squinted as he peered into the picture. "Duncan, is the building in front of Woodberry Hall a dorm too?"

"Yeah."

Logan grinned. He gave the picture back to Duncan. "Well if you will take the time to check out Wallace's school records, you'd find out that he lived right across Woodberry Hall." He pointed to the window, and the small sign.

"You think Wallace did it?"

Logan did not confirm nor deny it. "I know Wallace knows something."

tbc


	6. Chapter 6

Part 6

Logan Echolls slipped on his dark sunglasses as he walked into the dormitory. With a confident smirk on his face, he passed through the corridor and treated the young women whose avid gazes were tuned in to him to a flirtatious wave of his fingers.

"He's gorgeous," whispered one of the girls.

"God, to have those eyes turn to me."

"Ah." He turned around and spied the ladies talking about him. Logan slowly turned around and walked over to the two. The moment he saw them, Logan told himself not to bother coming up. They were obviously freshmen. If they were not here then, they would be unable to contribute anything to the investigation. The girls looked at him expectantly, then he shook his head. "Got a meeting with the admin," he said, feigned regret lacing his voice.

"You're going to live here?" the brunette asked in awe.

He smiled mysteriously, then walked away to the office. Logan rapped on the door and opened it without waiting for an answer. "Hey!" Logan greeted. His heart sank when a young man with black-rimmed eyeglasses looked up at him from behind the computer monitor. It would have been so easy if this was a girl. He would know exactly what to do. He was at a loss for any charm then. Instead, he switched off the grin and instead wore a panicked look. He did not grow up in a family of actors, and worked with actors the past few years, to not know the first thing about acting. The stray thought teased his subconscious, about how you had to learn how to act if you wanted to survive a relationship with Veronica Mars and seem unbroken, to face Duncan Kane without shattering on the outside. "Dude, I think there's a gas leak upstairs."

"That's impossible," the guy, Jason on the ID placard, claimed. "We don't allow stoves in here."

Logan shook his head. "Well tell that to the fire department when they call. I'm outta here!" He slammed the door shut and hid behind the column. He caught Duncan's eye, and held up his hand for patience. With an arrogant smirk, he counted with his fingers, "One. Two. Three."

The door of the admin office swung open, and Jason heaved a sigh of exasperation and left for the stairs. Duncan nodded, impressed. Logan merely shrugged and jerked his thumb towards the door. Duncan slipped away and stole into the room.

A few moments later, Logan saw Jason walking back towards him. He walked directly up to the young man.

"Thought you were out of here?"

"Well I wanted to check what you found." Logan put his arm around Jason's shoulders and said, "You were amazing. Brave."

Jason's gaze traveled up to the admiring gazes of a few people from the corridor. "It's my job."

Logan patted Jason on the back. "Just want you to know, man. I was ready to bolt. You made me feel safe." He felt a touch on his shoulder, and turned his head to see Duncan's back as he jogged away from the scene. Logan then said a quick goodbye to Jason and followed on Duncan's footsteps.

He met his friend in Duncan's car. Logan climbed in and waited for Duncan to hand the file over to him. Instead of the usual calmness that was expected, Duncan slammed the folder onto the dashboard. Logan's eyebrows arched and he took the file and flipped through the pages.

"What the hell?" he muttered, then turned to Duncan.

"Everything just stopped right after Veronica disappeared," Duncan said, verbalizing their discovery. "Now tell me that Wallace didn't have anything to do with this."

"That's impossible," Logan said. "Did you even understand how much that kid went out of his way for Veronica?"

_"That's what you're looking into?" he asked in surprise. He had been running his hand down her bare arm as they lay on their sides, facing each other. It had been one of those weekends when Logan would beg off all of his commitments. On these weekends, which so happened when Duncan went home to Neptune for his regular visits to his parents—at which Veronica was not invited, despite the length of her relationship with Duncan—Logan would recapture his younger days when all that existed to him was Veronica. Logan squeezed her arm. "That's too dangerous."_

She would not listen, of course. How many times had she investigated a big profile case without telling anyone? Duncan would often find out after the case closed, and she was reaping the rewards. Somehow, she could not keep the general idea from Logan though. He had his own ways of finding out. Despite how much he would find out though, Logan was certain it was just the tip of the iceberg. Veronica Mars was good enough to hide her tracks. "It's a favor to a friend. If I can't crack this, he's just going to be in danger."

"Veronica, there is no friend worth risking your neck out for."

She had simply shaken her head then, because she believed he would never understand. She had been partly right. He would not have gone that far from his friends.

Logan slammed out of the car and strode across the street.

"Hey Logan, where are you going?"

Duncan saw his friend run up the steps of the dorm they had left. He hurried after Logan. "I'm checking out Wallace's room again." Duncan looked around warily as he and Logan climbed the stairs. "The file said 24G." They stopped in front of a door labeled 24G and Logan twisted the knob. When it did not budge, he shook his head and chuckled. "Nothing can be too easy, huh? We need to get in."

Duncan sighed. Rolling up his sleeves, he started stepping as far away from the door as he could. When he moved to run towards the door, Logan caught his arm. He knocked on the door.

The door opened and out peered the occupant. "What do you want?" the tall shaggy-haired student demanded.

Logan did not leave too much time for introduction. He pushed his way into the room and went directly to the window. "I need to see if that bitch is cheating on me!" he exploded. "She lives right there in Woodberry Hall." Logan quickly looked at all angles of the window, trying to see which rooms one could see from this room.

"Ah shit, man. Which room is she in? My friend lives there. Might know the general direction."

"14B," Logan offered.

The occupant of the room scratched his head. "Must be 14D. That," he pointed to a room to the left, "is A. Next one is a storage room. Rest of it is from left to right, C until M."

"Bingo." Logan saw that directly across from what used to be Wallace Fennel's room was the storage area that must have been 14B."

"Stupid not to have a 14B when you have an all the letters from A-M."

"Not when 14B got busted for being the center of a drug ring," the guy said. "Now get out. I'm gonna be late for class."

Logan walked out of the room armed with the bits of information that the very helpful student imparted. Someone was going to have the gift of a fresh shirt the next day.

"I talked to Keith," was Duncan's announcement. "Even Mrs Fennel has no idea what happened to her son. There was no missing person's report filed for him. The only thing they knew is a little before he vanished, he got a girl pregnant. Baby's with Mrs Fennel. Keith is under the impression that this chick's family got Wallace killed."

"I can't believe that," Logan said. "Veronica made the nationwide news and no report was even filed for Wallace. They were from the same campus!" Then it dawned on him. "The press… it wasn't because of Veronica, was it? It was because she was your fiancé."

Duncan shook his head. "I don't know anything about Wallace's case. You think I'd have the chance to find out anything? I was out of my mind after the cliff."

"Well," Logan said, "I gathered there was a drug bust in 14B. You have to figure out if that was in any way connected to whoever killed Veronica."

_"When you get here, I have a secret to tell you," she promised over the phone._

"Tell me now," he requested. "Make my flight interesting." He could almost see her shaking her head. Logan clutched the phone closer to his ear.

Veronica said instead, "It will knock your socks off. I promise."

"Will you tell me about your case too?"

"Which case?" she asked, feigning ignorance.

"The one that I've been asking you to drop."

She chuckled. "It's almost closed, Logan. You'll be very proud of my accomplishment on this assignment."

The two of them walked back to the car. Duncan started pulling out and shifting gears. Soon, they were racing out of campus. "Even from the grave, she confuses me," Duncan said. "She was always so hard to control. Did you know that she was part of this team that investigated the drug ring on campus? Pity she died before the case closed."

Logan's head whipped to Duncan. "A drug ring? By any chance, would this be the one that was located in Woodberry Hall?"

"Probably one of the satellites," Duncan offered.

_Ever since Lilly died, Duncan had remained dry-eyed. His confrontation with his best friend, the person who would have undoubtedly been his best man, overwhelmed him so much emotion that Duncan doubted to keep his feelings in check._

The flight back from Logan's Hollywood plastic glamour of a home to his and Veronica's simple college apartment trembled with intensity. Duncan got off the cab and was surprised at that time of the night to see a man his age running out of his building. His heart slowed down. Duncan hurried to the elevator.

Even several yards away, Duncan already heart the shattering glass and the scream. He burst into a run and pounded on the door. After receiving no answer, he decided to slam his shoulder against the door. "Veronica!" Finally, he remembered the key that hung from his neck. He opened the door and stood shocked as he saw the mess.

She was on the floor, the broken figurine he had given her lay beside her head. The man had his hands around Veronica's throat. Veronica tried to pry open the man's fingers. Duncan yelled, "Get off!"

He pushed the man away from Veronica and threw his first punch. The lamp shattered on the floor.

Duncan reached out his hand and helped Veronica up. A sharp pain burst on the back of his head, and it was darkness. 

"She was involved in the drug ring investigation," Duncan said. Slowly, he turned to Logan.

Logan nodded. "She told me she was doing it for a friend. Wallace is the closest friend that she does have, and he lived across from the drug headquarters." For the first time since convincing himself that Duncan likely did not kill Veronica, Logan had the sinking feeling that he knew what happened. "I think—" He took the phone from his pocket and said, "I have to consult Keith on this."

Duncan frowned at Logan's decision. "Did you find out something I didn't see?"

Logan held up his hand and spoke into the phone. "Keith, how can all paper trail end for someone? What's up with that?"

"Happens when a person dies, Logan. Veronica's paper trail ended with a death certificate." He paused. "Your mom's did too, if you remember."

Logan released a long held breath. "Then what if there's no death certificate?"

"Then there should be a missing person's file. You're on to something," Keith concluded.

"Maybe." Logan heard a woman's voice in the background, and then a crying child. "Am I disturbing you, Keith?"

"Oh. Just hold on a minute. Alicia's here with her granddaughter. I'll just let her in."

Logan waited on the other line as Keith put down the phone to open the door. Logan hit the mute button, then turned to Duncan. "Mrs. Fennel's younger son was about ten years younger than Wallace, right?"

Duncan turned to Logan, surprised at the question. "Didn't really hang around that family to know for sure."

"He was," Logan said decidedly. It was impossible for Alicia Fennel to have a grandchild through Travis. "Duncan, did you know that Wallace had a kid?"

Duncan shook his head. Logan held up his hand when he heard Keith take the phone again.

"Hey Keith, sounds like you're going to be busy for sometime. I'll call you later for developments. I would need something though. Can you text me the contact information of the attorney handling the public case against the drug ring syndicate of Woodberry Hall?"

Logan put down his phone and turned to Duncan. "I hope you're ready for a ride," he told his friend.

_"I'm so afraid that I won't ever see you again," she whispered into the phone._

Logan clutched the phone to his ear. "Stay calm," he instructed over his pounding heart. He grabbed his jacket and wiped his bloody nose on his sleeve. Duncan was on his way back after releasing his anger on Logan. Logan would make sure he would be there before Duncan unleashed the same rage in front of Veronica.

"Logan, you don't understand!" she cried.

"Make me understand then, Veronica. What are you so afraid of?"

Logan heard the pounding like thunder. "Oh God," she murmured.

"Veronica, what is it? Who's at the door?" At the back of his mind, he asked himself if Duncan would have made it back in the three hours since Logan had seen him. The niggling thought continued to question whether or not Duncan would need to knock on the apartment door. "Veronica, don't answer the door."

The line went dead right when he got into his car.

His phone vibrated on the seat. When Logan read the message, he gave Duncan the address.

"This is a long shot," Logan said. "We're tailing the lawyer to see if he'll lead us to our missing link."

"What are you thinking?"

"Fell off the face of the earth with a kid left with his mother, no paper trail, no nothing after the case exploded, living right across the crime scene," Logan enumerated. "Our boy Wallace is hidden by federal power, Duncan. That's why he's not in any of the usual P.I. tools."

"Witness protection," Duncan said as it dawned on him.

tbc


	7. Chapter 7

Part 7

Logan and Duncan had not spent more than four hours straight together since Hollywood fluttered glittery lashes of escapism at the Echolls son and college happened as usual for the Kane heir. Thus, all memories were fond before the reckoning arrived at Duncan's doorstep in the form of an envelope that contained photographs of his best friend and his fiancé that he would have rather not seen. They were like stills of his nightmares, and Duncan then found out that his nightmares were reality.

When they were in high school, a lot of people wondered what they had in common. Truth to tell, Logan wondered about that too. Aside from their relationship with Lilly Kane, it seemed on the surface that they had not many shared interests. However, Logan and Duncan fell into easy friendship even before Logan was involved with Lilly Kane. Boys will be boys. With the same social background, Logan and Duncan normally attended the same events as children. Having to be on the same pedestal, isolated from other children, brought the two together. If the same likes did not make them friends, the same circumstances drew them together.

Conversation was easy then. They could talk about the beach, their classmates, their teachers and even the shows they watched on tv. Having moved in separate directions made the stakeout that much more tense.

Duncan had driven them to the address that Keith had sent them. Only a few minutes later did they see Wallace run out of the house with whom they presumed to be the lawyer in tow.

"Got to hand it to you, Logan. You've gotten pretty good at this. Wallace Fennel is alive."

They followed behind some other cars and parked two houses down from the house that Wallace actually went into.

"So, Wallace with a kid," Duncan started the conversation. "I didn't even think we were old enough to be getting married this early."

Logan grinned. "But you were so ready to get hitched two years ago."

"You don't think about small things like that when you're engaged to Veronica Mars." He was proud of that. No matter what Logan Echolls would be capable of taking from him in the future, Logan would not be able to take away the fact that Duncan was the one she had agreed to marry.

"Besides," Logan continued, avoiding the issue that Duncan raised, "Wallace Fennel didn't get hitched."

"What do you think he's doing in there?" Duncan prompted. "They're taking an awfully long time."

"We can be here til tomorrow. Hopefully you're ready to spend the night."

"When did you become an expert? Did you send Keith another message?"

Logan shook his head. "I've done episodes for for four good cop shows. According to my resource, this type of thing is for the long haul."

They waited again. After about ten minutes, Duncan spoke up. "So you learned all that stuff from the movie business?" Logan shook his head emphatically. "All right," Duncan muttered. It was difficult to talk to Logan when he was not forthcoming. "Where then?"

"Some I learned from the tv business," Logan joked.

Duncan chuckled and shook his head. He leaned his seat back and said, "You know I've always wondered one thing. I've seen you party and get wild a lot of times these past few years. You've had the time of your life in Hollywood, haven't you?"

i_Logan reached for her hand from across the table and squeezed. "He was so worried about you."_

"_I needed to get away for a few days."_

"_Is this about Duncan?"_

_She met his eyes and held his gaze for several heartbeats. "Do you think I'd hurt this much if it was about Duncan?"_

"_You certainly looked devastated enough after your breakup."_

_She smiled at the memory. "That was such a long time ago," Veronica said. "You have to consider all the factors. My hell consisted of an irrational breakup, a murdered best friend, parental abandonment and an entire high school who hated me."_

"_So I was definitely part of it. I was thinking maybe my actions didn't take that huge a part in your experiences."_

_Veronica scoffed. "You're kidding, aren't you?"_

_Logan managed to keep a straight face for all of five seconds before he shook his head and stood up. Then he pulled a chair close to hers and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry about all that, you know."_

_She nodded and turned her face to his. "I know," she whispered._

"_Do you want to tell me why you ran?" He smiled and said, "Please say you ran to end the suspense and just stay with me. I'll call Duncan right now to spill everything." Logan flipped open his phone and made a show of punching in numbers._

_Veronica moved to snatch away his phone, then frowned. "You're punching in numbers? And I thought you were going to make realistic movies." She shook her head. "Duncan has been friends with you since you were kids. You would be hitting one speed dial number or going to your phonebook if you want to call him," she pointed out._

"_Can't ever get anything past you, huh? Can you maybe tell me what's bothering you? I'm really transparent, as you can see." He held up the phone. "You, unfortunately, are not."_

"_Logan, it's really not a big deal."_

"_If it made you run, and it's keeping you up at night, then it is a big deal." Veronica sighed and looked away. "Hey," Logan called softly, "I'm over here and you need to start talking."_

_Veronica took his face in her hands and told him, "You are perfect when you're with me." She leaned to kiss him, but he pulled away._

"_Wait a minute. What do you mean I'm perfect when I'm with you?" he asked. Logan stiffened. "Is this about that damn tabloid again?"_

"_Logan, I know pictures and this was no Adobe manipulation. Neither were the photos on say, about eighteen other issues I've seen." Veronica sighed. "And I know I can't complain or even react because you're a single guy out free."_

_Logan's lips twitched. "I'm not single." She sent him a pleading look as if to ask him not to tease. He brushed his fingers against the crease between her eyebrows. "You know that. I would gladly announce the fact. All those pictures were taken out of context. Believe me, none of the stories were correct. Give me the signal, Veronica, and I'll clarify the fact that you are the only woman who interests me."/_i

"The experience was fine," Logan admitted. "Nothing out of the ordinary. Why do you ask?"

Duncan shrugged. "I just noticed that despite claiming how much you loved Veronica, and that you never stopped loving her even after you broke up with her, and that you never stopped loving her when she and I were engaged, you bounced back pretty fast, didn't you? You never seemed to grieve." Duncan held up his hand. "I'm not judging or picking a fight. I just want to know how you did it. Maybe I can start moving on instead of continuously blaming myself or you for something we can't fix anymore."

"Oh yeah, I was a hoot!"

"Cast parties, victory parties, raves—"

"Duncan—"

"And the entire time I was back here wondering if I killed her, telling myself that even if I didn't I wouldn't be able to move on." Duncan flexed his hand, then traced a circle around his unadorned ring finger. "I built my future around a concept of being married to her by the time we graduated. Take her out of the equation and I'm left standing empty handed with a degree I would never have to use, that I only got because I wanted to leave Neptune and go to college because she'd always wanted to go to college."

Logan swallowed the bile in his throat. The entire time he had been seeing Veronica behind Duncan's back, the pain was his and Veronica's. That was how far he considered. They were the victims in that they could not be together despite desperately wanting to be. He had turned his back on her and she had fallen back into Duncan's. Just when they were going to seal the deal, Logan had waltzed in to claim back what was already someone's else's. Logan was not sure if Veronica had thought about it, but Logan certainly did not consider the part that Duncan played in their bizarre relationship. Duncan, in his brain, fell from being the best friend and the boy friend to being the obstacle. Unless Veronica had left a tell-all journal to be discovered at a later date, he would never know.

"I have so many questions," Duncan said. "But that is the most important piece of wisdom that you can share with me. You've been living these past few years. I was barely surviving."

"You wanna trade?" Logan said silently. "Your years of wondering if you killed her and knowing that your plans for the future are shot to hell with my own version of puppet master, moving and talking and laughing but all this time being disconnected from my body. I'd gladly swap that if I can get those few months you spent with Veronica in that pathetic apartment, accepted as her fiancé, seeing how she looked like relaxed and stressed, serious and funny. You got to live with her. All I did was cram my computer's hard drive with stories about a high school former cheerleader turned PI who shook Neptune High like a snow globe."

"Veronica messed us up," Duncan concluded.

"And she was welcome," Logan said with a smile. "She can mess me up my whole life and I'd say thank you."

There was then no point for Duncan to ask Logan for tips on moving on. Clearly, Logan was obviously no expert.

"Hey he's on the move."

Logan and Duncan craned their necks to see Wallace run to the parked car. "We've got to follow—" Logan was out of the door in no time. "Hey man, we should come up with a plan."

"You go back," Logan muttered. "I got to talk to him."

"Why do you always go half-cocked?" Duncan furiously demanded. "This is not smart."

"That's why you've got the impressive GPA, Duncan. I couldn't care less about that stuff." Logan waved Duncan away and strode towards the car. He quietly stalked to the other side of Wallace's car, and with one swift move, he was sitting on the passenger seat grinning at him.

"Hey man, what the hell do you think you're—" Wallace stopped when he saw who was smirking in the seat beside his. "Logan Echolls." Wallace looked up at the house he left, then started the car. "I'm on my way to pick up my mother, so if your purpose if to talk to me, better put your seatbelt on."

Logan was surprised, but snapped on his seatbelt. He rolled down his window and yelled, "Duncan, follow us."

Duncan nodded and raced back to the car.

"So it was going to take you to find answers, huh? The prince of Neptune High never did get anywhere. All the evidences he got," Wallace made air quotes with his fingers, "pointed to him."

"What happened, Wallace?"

"I think you know. You found me in witness protection."

"Your mother said that you were missing."

"I was for a time. Then I had to see her."

Logan nodded. "You left your daughter with her."

Wallace smiled. "And we're picking them up."

"Keith knows you're alive?" Logan asked.

Wallace turned the bend on the other street. "I usually pick up my mom right outside. Keith hasn't seen me yet. It was one of the deals we had when I decided to reveal where I was to my mother. Nobody else was supposed to know. My mom says Keith adores the kid though."

i_"My dad's been asking me when Duncan and I are getting married. He's on this whole getting old thing. He wants to see grandkids before he dies."/_i

"Maybe he's transferring his expectations for Veronica to you."

Wallace nodded. "Or he just misses his daughter. Mom thinks it's that. The baby's blonde, you know."

That shocked Logan. "Knocked up a white girl?"

"She's blonde and cute, with a pert little nose and piercing eyes," Wallace described. "Temper's insane though. You'd adore her."

Logan turned to look at the road wheezing by. "As if you would even let me in there. You can't even go in to see Keith Mars." When Wallace did not answer, Logan turned to Wallace. The other young man continued driving. Logan chuckled. "Just shoot me a picture next time. Can't wait to see how your by-product looks like."

"Who knows, Logan? Maybe after two years of hiding, tonight's the night I'll walk up those steps and knock on Mr Mars' door."

The phone inside the cradle beside the car AC lit up. Wallace glanced down at the caller ID. "It's the lawyer. They're closing a lot of things now. Only one of the suspects is missing. Soon, we'll all be free." The phone kept ringing. Wallace frowned. "He should be back in his office by now. Maybe something's come up." He turned to Logan and cautioned, "Shut up." Wallace answered the phone with a, "Hello. Oh. Hey. What's up?" Wallace looked at Logan, who now seemed very interested with his hand. "It's here. Don't worry. I didn't forget it." Wallace glanced at the rearview mirror. "Sitting tight and safe. I'll tell her. I always do. You stay safe now. Bye."

"Either you don't want me to overhear anything or you've learned to use fewer words," Logan said. "I do believe that wasn't your lawyer."

"You're right." Wallace slowed the car down as they approached Keith's house. He reached from the backseat and got the two-foot tall teddy bear from the back. He placed it on his lap and brushed the fur. "It's for the baby," he shared. "What do you think?"

"It's cute." The bear was light pink, perfect for a little girl. "How old is the kid?"

"Turning two in two years."

"So two months before your best friend died, you got a girl pregnant. Did Veronica know about the baby? If she helped you that much at something that dangerous, she would definitely have been thinking about the kid."

"Veronica knew," was Wallace's simple answer. "She was reluctant to go through with the entire thing because of that baby in there."

"But she knew she had to do the right thing," Logan said. Wallace nodded at that. "So are you going to invite me in, or should Duncan and I wait out here?"

Duncan's car parked behind them, and the young man in question walked over to the two.

"What the hell," Wallace exclaimed. "Come on in." Before he jumped from the car, Wallace gave the bear over to Logan. "You give it to her since you're most likely the one person babies don't warm up to at once."

Logan held the bear aloft and read the words stitched on its stomach. "I love you beary much." Wallace slammed out of the car and Logan sat there thinking back to what he heard of Wallace's conversation, and then down at the stuffed animal.

"Come on, Logan," Duncan urged. "We can start piecing together pieces later."

Logan opened the door mechanically and clutched the bear to his chest. Then he looked up at the house and swallowed. His heart pounded heavily.

The door opened to reveal Mrs Fennel happily laughing at the sight of her son. As they talked on the doorstep, Logan supposed it was of Wallace telling his mother that he had decided to show himself to Keith Mars. Logan and Duncan stayed at the bottom step as Keith walked to the door carrying a baby girl with curly blonde hair.

"That's Wallace's baby?" Duncan said in disbelief.

"No," Logan mumbled thoughtfully. Involuntarily his legs took him to the house and he climbed up with the bear.

"Logan! Duncan!" Keith greeted. "You found Wallace." Keith turned the baby in his arms and waved the chubby arm at the two young men. "Hello! Come on in," Keith said in a small baby voice.

Logan robotically extended the bear over to Alicia. "For the baby."

"Uhhh… thanks." Alicia watched the way Logan unblinkingly looked the little girl over. "Wallace's girlfriend was so irresponsible," she began. "She just left the baby to me. She didn't want a kid."

Logan held up his arms to Keith and said, "May I?"

Keith paused, and the smile faded from his face at Logan's request. He handed the baby to the young man. Logan took the baby and dropped a kiss on top of the girl's head. He took a deep breath.

i_"When you get here, I have a secret to tell you," she promised over the phone._

"_Tell me now," he requested. "Make my flight interesting." He could almost see her shaking her head. Logan clutched the phone closer to his ear._

_Veronica said instead, "It will knock your socks off. I promise."/i_

"Didn't know you liked babies," Duncan piped in.

Logan closed his eyes and just held the baby close to him. When he looked up, his eyes were moist. "Can I take her to the other room?" He reached for the bear to hug with his other arm. "I'll introduce her to this new toy." Keith nodded imperceptibly. Before he left, Logan said, "For what it's worth, Alicia, I don't think… What did you name the baby?" he asked Wallace.

Wallace grinned, because looking at Logan, he knew there would be no long drawn out exposition needed. "I gave Mr Mars the honors."

Keith seemed concerned about Logan's reaction. Still, he merely replied by saying, "I suggested Veronica, but it wouldn't really be fair to the baby. We decided to call her Elizabeth." Alicia smiled. "All right all right. We call her Betty."

Logan gave them a brief smile. Betty's small hand grasped at his chin. "Well I'm sure Betty's mother didn't want to just dump her with you, Alicia." He turned then carrying the baby with him, Logan walked to the next room.

He closed the door behind him with his foot. Logan placed the bear on the bed and put the baby on his lap, facing him. He looked into the eyes that he faintly recognized. "Some secret you were," he whispered. "Definitely did knock my socks off."

Logan sighed and took the bear by the arm. "You see this, Betty? This is from your mom. She wanted me to give her one of these, but we broke up before I could ever get her one."

_i"Except I want mine won by a show of ring-tossing abilities./i_

Having the baby exist proved one thing to Logan. Betty wouldn't be alive if Veronica was killed in that apartment or in that cliff two years ago. It was time to stop hunting killers.

"By the way, I don't know if your mom went insane when she found out what your grandpa named you. You have to be aware though, that I am going to want to change your name once I find your mother. Or I'm just going to have to start calling you Lizzie."

The door swung open and Logan half-expected Duncan to be standing there frowning at him. Instead, it was Keith Mars, near tears.

"Is it true?" the older man choked out. "Wallace is outside explaining to Duncan."

"She's alive, Keith. I'm not going to rest until I get her back."

Keith reached up a trembling hand to brush away his tears. "I can't believe I didn't put everything together!"

"She's your daughter, Keith," Logan said. "It's hard to be objective. I gave away all pretense of being cold and objective long ago." Logan brushed back a blonde lock on Betty's head. "I heard you loved your granddaughter from the time Alicia showed her to you."

"She is my granddaughter, isn't she? Really mine." Keith rubbed the baby's head with his hand. "Should've known earlier. Looks like Veronica and has a temper like yours."

"I think Wallace mentioned something in the same vein."

Keith sat down heavily on the edge of the bed. "Catch me up, Logan. We're going to nail this case closed within the week. My daughter already lost two years of her life. I'm going to make sure she's not going to lose any more."

tbc


	8. Chapter 8

AN: I can't tell you how much your fb has meant to me while I was writing this story. Thank you so much.

Part 8

How long he held the child, Logan would never be able to tell anyone. The moment he sat in the bedroom and looked into her eyes, he drowned. There were many times in his life when he felt drowned by emotion. When he was with Veronica, he had drowned—then he kicked and struggled out of panic and fear. He had drowned with Lilly, and he had risen off the water to save himself. In all of his relationships, as he told Veronica when he finally cut her lose in high school, Logan gave his all. He expected the same thing from his partner. It had always been his feeling of giving so much of himself and not having the same amount reciprocated that terrified him and made him fight against the bonds.

Holding Betty on his lap, recognizing how fragile and precious the life in his arms was, and all the time seeing in her gaze her mother, overwhelmed him with thousands of emotions he could not name. Yet Logan did not once struggle. In the rush of love and anxiety, Logan sucked everything in until he thought he would explode. Again, he breathed in the scent of the baby and closed his eyes.

Little kisses of memories gave him an insight into the time he lost. Logan had wondered what that secret was that Veronica had desperately wanted to tell him. When she needed to whisper her mind, Veronica did it over the phone. Secrets in affairs often were revealed long distance, especially since they had been seeing each other behind her fiance's back. They were going to inform Duncan when Logan arrived. When Veronica spoke of a secret that would surpass any other secret, Logan wondered what it could possibly be.

"You are the most gorgeous secret in the world, Betty."

In his heart he knew that had the succeeding events not happened the way they did, he would have probably had the most memorable time in his life when he saw Veronica that night. Logan created a fantasy in his head, because he was not going to live through his life knowing that wonderful moment had been stolen by criminals.

i_"Are you ready?" she would have whispered into his ear._

"_I've been ready to find out since you teased me about it over the phone," he would have told her. _

_Her eyes would have sparkled then, the way they did whenever they were together. They would sparkle with the brilliance she had given up since she had gone back to Duncan, the way they never did since he had cut her out of his life for one mistake that he had thought once he would never forget. Veronica would then take his hand and ask her to open it, then she would press his palm on her stomach._

_His eyes would go wide, of course. It would have been so far from what he expected then. And then, he would give her a wide smile and cry out with his happiness. He would have taken her up in his arms and whirled her around and around and around—_

_And then he would have remembered that pregnant women grew dizzy easily and he would put her back down on her feet and embraced her. Then he would have thanked her as if there were no tomorrow._

"_We're going to be a family," he would have whispered against her lips./_i

"I'm going to have my family back together," he told the baby. "You're going to have a mommy and a daddy and a great big house." He had all that, but he had not been happy. "Only you, Betty, will have a mommy and a daddy who love each other so much and who adore you beyond anything they wouldn't dare hurt you," Logan promised his daughter.

Betty's forehead creased, and she let out a wail. Logan hushed the child and stood up, then danced around with her. "I'm sorry, Betty," he said, afraid that the intensity that radiated off him had scared her. He rubbed the baby's hair with his hand and marveled at how small she was that his hand easily spanned her skull. "I'm sorry, baby."

Logan danced around and was relieved when the baby laid her cheek on his shoulder and stopped crying. He had not wanted Alicia to come in to take the baby from him. Logan wanted to cherish his time with his daughter. Duncan was waiting outside, he knew. Keith had gone out to quell Duncan's reaction to what Wallace would tell him. While Logan had so many things to base his understanding on, such as the calls from Veronica, the bear and Wallace's comments in the car, Duncan had no such clues. He was going to be informed, and Logan knew that Duncan would not be as ecstatic as Logan was to find out that Wallace's kid was actually Veronica and Logan's love child.

As the crying waned, it turned to hiccups and slowly, to delightful infant snoring. Logan smiled. His precious baby girl did not snore. He would call it 'audible breathing.' Carefully, he turned the baby in his arms and caressed her plump cheek with his nose. He wanted to spend forever staring at her, but he knew that whatever it was he had to face outside would not go away of its own volition. Duncan and the truth he would have to face sooner or later. The sooner they settle it, the sooner they could put together their plan to take Veronica out of a shelter that had forced her to surrender her own baby.

Logan placed the baby in the center of the bed and gathered pillows to tuck around the baby's body. Betty was fast asleep, her eyelashes fluttering. Logan wondered if she dreamed of Veronica. He leaned down and dropped a kiss on Betty's forehead. "I love you, honey. Daddy's going to be right back," he vowed through the ball of emotion in his throat.

When he opened the door and walked into the living room, he was greeted by the glare of his best friend, who was sitting tensed and furious in front of Wallace Fennel.

"Is it true?" Duncan demanded. "Is that your kid?"

Logan searched the room for Alicia. She was standing beside Keith, with her hand on his back. "Mrs Fennel," Logan requested, "can you please stay with Betty to make sure she doesn't roll off the bed while she's sleeping?"

Alicia smiled and nodded. "Of course. I'll turn her on her tummy. She likes that, Logan," she said, squeezing his arm as she passed.

"I'll remember," Logan murmured. "Thanks." He turned back to Duncan. "She's mine and Veronica's, Duncan. And she's beautiful."

Duncan rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "How much did you two screw me over?" he said quietly. "Wasn't it enough that you were fucking her behind my back? Did you have to knock her up?"

Logan noticed many little things. Wallace pushed back his chair.

Keith's hands fisted on both sides of his body. "I would appreciate it if you can keep yourself civil, Duncan."

When Duncan looked up at Keith, his eyes were bright with tears. "Do you understand now why I couldn't tell you everything I knew?"

Keith took a deep breath and hesitantly laid his hand on Duncan's shoulder. "I know how you're feeling, Duncan. I know you're screaming at yourself now, and you demand to know where you made the mistake, if there was something you could've done to keep her from falling back in love with another guy she should have been over years ago. Believe me."

And Duncan knew it all. The great tragedy of Keith Mars was that his wife Lianne kept on falling back in love with the man she should have let go—Jake Kane. Was it Duncan's ultimate tragedy to win Lianne Mars' daughter and lose her over and over to Logan?

Duncan swallowed, then let out a strangled yell. "Is this eye for a fuckin' eye?" He unfolded himself from his seat, then strode towards Logan. The two stared at each other for a long time, then Duncan pushed Logan backwards as hard as he could. Logan slammed back against the wall.

Wallace rushed over to stand between the two. Duncan sneered. "You think you can defend him?" he asked. "Logan can fight his own battles."

Wallace shook his head. "This isn't a battle, man. There's no use fighting here."

Logan straightened. "Duncan, I meant it when I said I'm sorry we hurt you," he repeated from their conversation in the apartment. "That wasn't what we wanted."

Pushing Wallace aside, Duncan lunged at Logan and grabbed his collar. Duncan drew back his fist and slammed it up Logan's chin. Logan's head snapped back and he collapsed on the floor, dazed. He shook his head to clear it and heard Duncan say, "—you just never thought of me."

Wiping the droplet of blood on his lip, Logan looked up at the door to the bedroom. He stood up and held up his hand to warn Duncan away. Soon enough, the baby's cry could be heart. "You're completely right, Duncan. We never thought of you." He stumbled to the bedroom to look in on Alicia trying to calm down the baby. "Tell you what, Duncan," Logan suggested. "We find Veronica first. We help close this case that's already ruined too many lives. Then we find a place in which my daughter isn't sleeping in the next room. Then I'll let you have at it." He spread his arms wide. "I won't even fight and you can take out all of your pent up frustration on me. All right?"

Duncan glared at Logan. "Fine. We find Veronica first. She's got as much to answer as you." He then proceeded to the table and sat down. "Sorry," he mumbled at Keith. He then turned to Wallace.

The other young man looked in confusion at Duncan, who was seated at the table, and Logan, who leaned against the wall blotting out the blood on his lip. Wallace sought Keith's gaze, and the older man indicated that he had the floor. "You want to understand what happened to Veronica, right?" Wallace sat down. "It all started when I saw them dealin', you know. Had to tell Veronica about it, coz I knew she'd be able to help me tell the authorities. We were gathering enough evidence for a few days." Wallace looked at Logan. "Then she wanted out."

i_Veronica set her bag down on the table and leaned close to Wallace. "Listen," she whispered, "this is all the evidence I have on your case." Veronica pushed the papers to her best friend. "Here are the pictures and the audio recording of the phone conversation we managed to tap. I've already contacted the authorities about this. They're going to communicate with you, ok?"_

"_Wow, Veronica! When they said you were good, I was impressed because you were my best friend," Wallace exclaimed. "Now I'm thinking they weren't all just empty compliments."_

_She grinned. "Thanks, Wallace."_

"_Why you givin' me all this stuff, though?" _

_Veronica gave him a shy smile. "I'm going to have to leave this all to you, Wal. I'm gonna have to bow out of this one."_

"_Wait, what?" Wallace asked, surprised. "Veronica, this is the biggest case you've had to handle outside the murder. You're just going to push this over to me?"_

"_This is a really important case. I've done as much as I can. Now I have to give this to the professionals, and they'll be coordinating with you about this," Veronica said. "I can't be involved in this anymore. It's personal."_

_Wallace shook his head. "You mean Duncan's not letting you finish this?"_

"_Duncan doesn't even know I'm investigating a drug ring," she said. "This is my choice."_

"_I've known you for a long time, Veronica. I know how dogged you are when you have an unsolved case. You've got to come up with a better explanation than that."_

"_Wallace, I don't want to be exposed to anything dangerous," she admitted. "I'm finally getting everything I want in my life, and it's stupid to let myself get hurt." She closed her hand around her friend's. "I'm pregnant, Wallace," she announced with a bright smile. "I'd rather not go running after or away from criminals while I'm carrying my baby."_

_His eyes almost popped out of his head. "Does Duncan know?"_

_She shook his head. "I have to tell you something but I don't want you to judge me." He nodded. "Promise."_

"_Promise," he agreed._

"_It's not Duncan's, Wallace. We don't…"_

"_Veronica," Wallace warned._

"_It's Logan's. We've been seeing each other since Duncan published the engagement. I'm planning to tell him tomorrow night, Wallace. So you have to turn that evidence in. I'm going to be here calling Logan. I'll ask him to come, and then I'll tell him."/_i

Logan remembered that day. Those words had kept repeating back to him over and over. Betty. That's why she wanted to wait until he was there before she could tell him. News as wonderful as that didn't deserve to be told over the phone.

"I was with the FBI for a few hours," Wallace relayed. "I wish I wasn't. I found out later that that was when they started picking up some people. A few of those guys had been calling Veronica. I guess the name of the informant hadn't been as closely guarded as I was. She'd sent an SOS to a friend."

i"Mac, I'm scared. For the first time, Veronica Mars is afraid of her own shadow. I'm sending you this so that you can save it as part of a number of evidence I will funnel to you. Keep them safe, Mac. It's a matter of life and death."/i

"She was going to send Mac copies of the pictures we gave the FBI, just in case. She hadn't been able to do it. I have no idea why," Wallace confessed. He looked at Duncan. "She wouldn't tell me what kept her from funneling the evidence, but I guess it was because of you. You were the last person registered to have seen her, right?"

Duncan nodded.

i_He opened the door and slammed in. Veronica jumped in front of the computer and turned around. "Duncan, you scared me!" she gasped._

"_When you've got a dirty conscience, you tend to be jumpy," he said tightly._

_She frowned at him. "What are you talking about?" Veronica saw the brown envelope he held in his hands. "Duncan, what's that?"_

"_You cheated on me with my best friend. How clichéd is it that the bride slept with the best man?" Duncan ripped open the envelope in his haste to show her the pictures that had been haunting him since he received them. He took the pictures out and held them in front of her. "At least you looked like you were enjoying it!"_

"_Duncan," she cried out when he gripped her arms, "listen please."_

_He raised a fist, then drew it back. The anger in his eyes faded to defeat. "I didn't want to sleep with you until I could see that you were ready," he said softly. "Until we were married. All along you were sleeping with him?" _

_She shook her head. "Duncan, we were planning to tell you." Veronica pulled away from his grip. "I was going to leave you tomorrow," she said, delivering the fatal blow. "I didn't want you to get hurt, Duncan."_

"_You were going to leave?"_

"_Logan was going to come tomorrow and tell you everything. Then we were going to leave, Duncan. I'm sorry you had to find out this way."_

_Duncan gripped his head and screamed as loud and as long as he could. Then he straightened and slammed out of the apartment./_i

"I wouldn't have hurt her, no matter how enraged I was." Duncan looked up at Keith. "I didn't tell you about that fight because I didn't want you to know what happened. She was dead. You can't clear your own conscience by sullying a dead woman's name."

"I understand, Duncan."

"Somehow," he admitted, "if I didn't tell anyone about what happened between us that night, then I could pretend I lost her to violence and not to my best man."

Logan shook his head. He had been wrong. He and Veronica had been the ones who betrayed Duncan. Somehow, he still wanted to be angry because he had lived for two years knowing that she had been in pain right at the end.

_i"Veronica, what's wrong?" he yelled into the phone, his heart beating hard. _

_She sobbed into the phone. "He knows, Logan! Someone sent him pictures."_

"_Where are you?"_

"_I'm in the apartment. He left."_

_He breathed a sigh of relief. "I want you to leave and catch a flight out. I'll pick you up."_

"_I was going to tell him, I swear."_

"_Shhhh. It's okay, Ronnie. We'll fix it. I promise."_

"_God, Logan, Duncan didn't deserve to find out like this," she whispered into the phone. "I'm so sorry."_

"_Listen to me, Veronica."_

_He felt the punch come out of nowhere, and his phone flew out of his hand. Logan looked up at the enraged face of Duncan Kane._

"_How could you?" _

_Logan lay gasping on the ground. He saw his best friend heaving angrily, towering above him. "You knew, despite all the shit between us back then, that I would have fixed it given time. Veronica and I were healing. I would have made it all better. You swooped in and took advantage of that. The question is, Duncan," Logan posed, as he stood up, "how could you?"_

"_You hurt her. Besides, we were never meant to break up."_

"_I loved her."_

"_So you did it for revenge?" Duncan demanded._

"_I wanted her back."_

"_Stay away from her!" Duncan stalked back to the rental car. "We're getting married."_

_Logan tightly shut his eyes. "Don't fly back," he called out. "Stay here and cool off. Don't go back to her like that."/i_

Keith Mars nodded at the story. "So we've established that Duncan went back, and so did Logan. What we haven't found out is why Duncan's next memory is that cliff."

"I was there," Wallace admitted. "I went to the apartment after my interrogation. They wanted me to go to witness protection, but I had to check on Veronica. That was when I saw that she was being attacked by two of the ring members."

Logan gripped the edge of his seat.

"I launched myself at one of them. The other one ran as fast as he could out of the apartment. Veronica grabbed one of the lamps and broke it over his head. We were going to run out of the apartment when he caught her by her ankle." Wallace sniffled at the memory. "She yelled at me to get out and call the cops. That was when he hit her and knocked her out." He looked at Duncan sadly. "Duncan pushed by me." At that, Duncan was surprised. Clearly, it was already at the point that had become a hazy memory to him. It was obvious to me that he was out of it. You didn't know what you were doing, did you?" Duncan shook his head. "Well he came in and beat the guy to a bloody pulp."

_iHe threw a punch. _

_The lamp broke when it hit the floor._

_Duncan glanced at his fist and saw his knuckles scraped and bloody./i_

"I didn't hit her," Duncan shuddered. "At all. That night."

"No, you didn't," Wallace answered.

Duncan released a breath he had held for two years, relieved that that fear had been assuaged.

"The FBI arrived to take the bastard to custody," Wallace related. "That was when they decided, knowing how violent the entire ring was and what big money they were dealing with, to put both me and Veronica into witness protection. While they took us to the hospital to check out her injuries, they made sure no one would look for her again."

Duncan formed his own shattering conclusion. "They knew I was out of my mind and they drove me to the cliff, and towed Veronica's car off of it."

Keith closed his eyes as the holes in the investigation he had conducted regarding his daughter's death were filled in.

"You should've seen her when she woke up in the hospital," Wallace continued. "Bandages all over, but she was bossing everyone around. She wanted to inform her family where she was. They told us our families were already informed. And then she demanded to know how her baby was. That they didn't expect."

Logan looked at Wallace with hooded eyes.

"She wanted to keep her, but they were right. Betty wouldn't grow up well in the type of environment we were in. We were prisoners," Wallace said. "So instead she told them to send the baby to its dad."

"Duncan," Keith said. Logan glared at the older man. "That's what they thought."

"I don't know why they didn't agree. I suppose it would be because they had Duncan framed for the entire thing, and just made sure there wouldn't be enough hard evidence to get an innocent man incarcerated. Anyway," Wallace said, finally giving a hint of a grin, "we formulated an escape plan for me to take the baby out and give him to my mom. We created the perfect story that will allow my mom to keep the baby and for Keith to regularly see her without ever finding out the truth." Wallace's smile faded. "She'd been severely depressed. Her only comfort now is knowing that her dad gets to see her baby."

Logan waited for Wallace to continue. When it seemed nothing else was forthcoming, he demanded, "Well, you've turned Duncan into a hero and you've informed Keith that Veronica wanted the baby with him. What about me, Wallace? Where am I in your story?"

"She won't talk about you," Wallace said simply. Logan's shoulders fell. "Spending that long knowing only her, I've come to understand how important you must be."

i_"Hey Veronica," Wallace said softly, sitting beside her and handing her another piece of tissue paper. "What's wrong?"_

"_Nothing," she whispered._

"_Come on. It's just us against them. Are you going to hold out on me, girl?"_

_She closed her eyes and her tears slid down her cheeks. She laid down on the bed and placed her hand over her stomach. "Just one more day, Wallace. I would've had everything."/_i

Logan drew a deep shuddering breath. How many times had he told himself that whenever he remembered that girl he lost?

Just one day, then the whole world…

What big difference one day made.

tbc


	9. Chapter 9

Part 9

Around the table they sat amidst files and pictures and post its with notes hastily scribbled on them—Keith Mars, Duncan Kane, Wallace Fennel and Logan Echolls. The air around them was tightly strung with tension that emanated from the two men who had long been the closest friends in the state. Duncan would often glance up at Logan as the other scoured through the clues available in front of them.

"I can feel it," Logan mumbled. "Come on, Cynthia Lattimer. Where are you?" he whispered, having found out the fake name given to Veronica when she was still in hiding together with Wallace. "We're getting so close I can taste it."

Duncan's eyes flickered over to the older man, who smiled as if he was pleased with the comment. "Don't you just feel it throbbing in your veins, Logan?" Keith asked, clearly impressed by the methodical way that Logan assessed each picture, and paired it with the category partitions provided by the post its. "I have to say that I never thought you'd make a good PI. Too hotheaded."

"Time has mellowed me, Keith," Logan said.

Duncan shook his head and focused on the multitude of things that just did not make sense to him.

"Maybe it's the case. I doubt I'd have the patience to solve anything else."

"You did take your time to come forward in this search, didn't you, Logan?" Duncan interjected. "But we all understand given the fact that you were releasing projects left and right. What is that called again—evasion?"

Wallace almost growled at the Kane heir for disrupting what could have been a perfectly peaceful chore. "If you two are going to start a fight, do it another time. Agent Dawson's about to arrive. I put my neck on the line for him to agree to this meeting so you two better play mature people doing mature work."

Logan moistened his lips and looked at his former best friend from the corner of his eye. "I called it surviving."

"You survived the hell out of a lot of starlets," was Duncan's comment.

Keith sighed. "Duncan, please just—"

"What they did to me was so much worse that this," Duncan said in light defense.

"Let it go, Keith." Logan smiled in the same way he always did when he was trying not to let his emotions control him. "He's right."

Wallace looked up at the door a split second before they heard the bell. He turned to Duncan specifically and warned, "Not a word." He then proceeded to the door to let the guest in. "Agent Dawson, thanks for coming." He shook the hand of the agent and escorted him inside.

"Well Wallace, given the fact that you left our protection without informing us, and misleading us in the whereabouts of the kid, we felt that we needed to run when you came calling," the agent said derisively.

"Well now, Agent Dawson, no need for sarcasm here. We asked you to come because we had questions for you." When the agent nodded curtly, and took a look at the occupants of the room, Wallace gestured to each one. "This is Mr Keith Mars, Veronica's dad."

"The PI? Why don't you try looking for Cynthia Lattimer then? You're good at tracking people, or so I've heard."

"I've tracked her down. Cynthia Lattimer lives in an old age home in Florida. You and I both know the first thing you would have done when Wallace split was change everything pertaining to any witness that had any interaction with him." Agent Dawson nodded in appreciation of Keith's knowledge.

"Duncan Kane."

"The fiancé," the agent said, for the first time his lips curving to a smirk.

"The one you framed for murder," Duncan said testily.

The agent chuckled. "Fair enough. If we wanted to really frame you though, you wouldn't be running free."

"Depends if your definition of running free is being trapped for two years in a hell of suspecting yourself of murder."

The agent turned to the other occupant in the room. Wallace said, "Logan Echolls."

"And he's needed in this conversation why?"

"Because you owe me," replied Logan. "Now where is Veronica?"

Agent Dawson turned slowly to Wallace. "Good job, Mr Fennel. You've run away and now you've broken your oath to keep safe all of the people who were left."

Keith shook his hands at the agent. "Wallace had very little to do with the investigation as we embarked on it. He merely confirmed what he had already been on the verge of uncovering." The older man walked over to the agent and laid a firm hand on his shoulder. "Now would you care to tell us where you hid my daughter, because she needs to come home now?" Keith's voice was calm and soft, yet held a touch of danger as he demanded for information.

"So," the agent said, looking at Wallace, "this is the purpose of your call. Did you people actually think we would reveal such privileged information because you've pressured us into doing so?" The agent moved to leave.

Logan finally sprung up from his chair and dove to the agent, grasping his shirt. "Where is she? Veronica needs to see her daughter."

The agent grasps Logan's wrists and disentangles his clothes from the young man's fingers. "The nobody suddenly talks." Agent Dawson put on his firmest and most authoritative stance as he tells Logan, then the rest of the people in the room that, "Veronica Mars' safety is paramount to our investigation. So was the protection of Mr Fennel, who chose to flee. We will never, and I repeat, never, reveal her location before the last member of the drug syndicate has been apprehended." He looked at Keith. "I have a baby daughter, Mr Mars, and I know that if it became a choice between having her around at home in danger and isolating her somewhere safe, I would choose her safety. I'm unselfish like that."

Logan, frustrated, hissed in his breath. "Get the hell out if you're just going to tell us how to deal with this. We've been dealing for two years!"

The agent stared at Logan for the longest time, then at the pissed off yet passive Duncan Kane seated at the table. He frowned in confusion, then turned to leave. He opened the door and stepped outside. Before he closed the door behind him, he told Wallace, "We will still expect you at the arraignment when we find the last suspect. Stay safe, Mr Fennel. I know Ms Mars is apprehensive about your safety."

Wallace nodded and waited for the door to close. He looked back at Keith, who seemed to have been impressed by the agent, despite Dawson's lack of courtesy or humanity, as Wallace liked to call it. Duncan stared at his fisted hands as he clenched them on top of the clues. When Wallace glanced at Logan, the other man was not fuming as Wallace had expected. Instead, Logan's back was flat against the wall, and his eyes were shut tight and his head was thrown back.

In front of his eyes, Logan transformed. He straightened and shook his head clear. Then Logan proceeded back to the table and sat down, lifting Duncan's hands out of the way as he reached for more of the pictures. Keith followed suit and walked over to his seat, slapping Logan on the shoulder as he passed.

"This is the diner where someone claimed to have seen someone who fit Veronica's description, right?" Logan said quietly. When Keith nodded, he put it on the stack of witness sightings. "Wallace, are you sure you have no idea where they could have possibly taken her?"

"No, man. I knew where we were then. When I ran, they moved her. Only contact I had with her was with the lawyer. She could send me her gifts for Betty, you know, like the bear. The lawyer would take them to his house where I could pick it up." Wallace rubbed his chin, then said, "Since I already left the program, they wouldn't let me contaminate the rest. If someone's already following me, contact with the witnesses still inside could mean their death. People would find out. Bad people can track me."

Logan covered his face with his hands. For a long time, he breathed in and out in that position. When he took off his hands, he saw Duncan staring at him with the same inscrutable expression he had perfected in high school. Logan tried to nod, as if to acknowledge that there was no ill will, but Duncan looked away instead.

Just when Logan was about to delve again in the clues that seemed impossible to crack, and Logan had newfound respect for how the FBI had set up the elaborate pattern to hide Veronica, the door opened to reveal Alicia carrying Betty strapped to her back. "Hey," Alicia greeted, "can we drop by to say hello?"

Keith immediately waved her in. "Hey Alicia! Hey Betty boo," was the happy exclamation of the grandfather.

Logan stood up immediately and waited for Keith to finish kissing Betty. He walked over to Alicia and helped her unstrap the baby from her body. Then, Logan beamed as he took off the contraption hanging off Betty. "There's my baby girl! Daddy missed you so much." Logan raised Betty up high above him and whirled her around. "Who missed you, baby?" The baby giggled. Logan embraced her and kissed her neck. "Baby powder," he commented, smiling at Alicia. "Looks like little Betty's been living in the lap of luxury!"

Alicia laughed. "We had to drop by before we left for Washington."

At that, Logan sobered. He and Keith had spoken at length about sending Alicia with Betty to one of Logan's apartments in Seattle. With the full search that they would be conducting, and what could possibly be a criminal trial that would involve Wallace and Veronica, Keith felt that it would be better to send Betty somewhere else for the meantime. Logan had wanted to keep Betty with her. There was so much to make up for. However, Keith's points had all been valid. He felt it would also be better to spend that time with Betty when they were a whole family. He was on a mission to fulfill that.

"Alicia, would you mind if I took little Veronica over to the room first? I'm going to talk to her about all the rules she has to follow if she's going out of town."

"Ugh," Wallace said, lightening the mood, "don't call the kid little Veronica. Call her by her name."

"Look at that face," Logan argued. "If that isn't a little Veronica, I don't know what is."

Wallace was taken aback when he saw the baby glaring at him. "Woah! Okay, call her little Veronica. Might get rid of that Echolls attitude she's got down pat."

Logan grinned at Wallace. When he glanced at Duncan, his friend was still staring at him emotionlessly. He went into the room.

At that, Duncan stood up. "I'm leaving," he announced. Without waiting for anyone's answer, he walked out of the door.

Duncan strode to his car and slammed inside. There, he yelled as loud as he could. He screamed his pent up frustration, his anger at the men who planted him at the scene of Veronica's fall, his rage at being cuckolded by the two people he loved most in the world. He hit his steering wheel with his arms and allowed the tears to run down his cheeks. "AAaaaahhhhh!" He released his pain at the betrayal of his mother that started Veronica and Logan down that path. He and Veronica had such a perfect relationship. Had it not been disrupted by his mother's lie, Veronica and Logan would not have discovered what lay underneath the friendship, the sparring, the attraction thinly disguised by hatred. Seeing Keith and Logan interact stuck to his gut, because until now he still called Veronica's father Mr Mars. Most of all, he despised the fact that Logan adored a pretty little girl who could have been his, if he took the chance to sleep with her and she hadn't been treacherous enough to repeatedly cheat on him.

Without the lie, Duncan could have had everything.

He firmly believed that.

Duncan laid his head on his hands and sobbed. How long he had been crying there, he would not know. Time seemed to stop when you didn't give a fuck. When he glanced back towards the house, he saw Logan standing by the doorway watching him with concern. On one arm sat Betty, playing on the pink teddy bear sitting on Logan's other arm. Duncan closed his eyes briefly at the sight, because underneath the feelings of being betrayed, Duncan still loved Logan the way he would probably have loved his own brother had he one, and the sight of Logan standing with his daughter in his arms was heartbreaking in its own way.

Duncan pulled down the sun visor and glanced at the picture tucked by the mirror. Perfection gone in deception – Lilly and Logan, so vibrant and playful; him and Veronica, so innocent and hopeful. Those people in that snapshot in time were the people he would care about forever.

Duncan steered the car out of the driveway and started down the road, where the sight of Agent Dawson getting into his car after exiting a convenience store would penetrate his grief-stricken brain. He tailed the car and smiled, because he thought he heard Veronica's voice insist, _i"Don't tail him close. You have to be at least two cars behind./i_"

"Yes, ma'am," he murmured. When Agent Dawson turned right and into an exclusive subdivision, Duncan also did.

In the apartment that he had left behind, Logan handed Betty over to Alicia with a plea for the woman to look after his daughter. "I promise, Betty, that next time I come get you, mommy's gonna be with us in the car."

Logan lifted the bags that Alicia had packed, mostly Betty's toys and knick knacks lying around Keith's apartment. He brought them over to Alicia's car and loaded them in the trunk. He kissed his daughter one last time. "And Alicia, would you mind if I keep the pink bear?"

Alicia shook her head. "Keep it until you have the baby back," she told Logan.

As Wallace's mother drove away, Keith tapped Logan on the shoulder. Logan turned around clutching the bear to his chest. "Why'd you take the kid's toy?"

Logan smirked. "Because Veronica will always be Veronica, no matter what fake name they plaster on to her. She'll always be resourceful no matter how much they limit her." He ran up to the house and put the bear on top of the table, messing up the clues they had already gathered there. He went to the sink and drew a knife. Wallace was about to protest the meaningless vandalism when Keith held up his hand to stay him. "This was the only way she knew that would go to her daughter," Logan stated. "Veronica's not going to let the chance pass. She's resourceful. That picture of the diner where the witness was standing when she saw someone who looked like Veronica?" Logan reminded them.

Keith's eyes widened. "I've seen that place. Never been to that diner, but I've seen that place and it's close to one of the shops I go to for stock."

"What stock?" Wallace prompted.

Logan butchered the bottom of the pink bear and inserted his hand inside. He felt for the object he needed to find.

"That is a disgusting image," Wallace muttered.

"Eureka!" Logan exclaimed. He drew out a tiny black piece of equipment and handed it over to Keith.

"It's a tracking device," Wallace said, astounded. "You mean Veronica placed a tracking device of her daughter's toy."

"She wants out," Keith concluded. "And she planted that so she knows which direction to run." He took the device from Logan and turned it over with his fingers.

"Now I need to know if it's possible to reverse the tracking signal," Logan stated.

Keith looked at Logan and said, "Nothing's impossible these days." He glanced at the poor bear with the ribbed butt. "You might want to cover up the bear's ass. I'll ship it to Alicia and she can sew it up. Keep the toy. Sentimental value." Keith then took the device with him to see how he can work on finding out where Veronica was.

Wallace slowly applauded for Logan, who was grinning wide. Logan grabbed the bear and kissed it smack on its plastic nose.

"We're on our way, Veronica. Just you wait."

tbc


	10. Chapter 10

This is a little bit shorter than usual. I wanted to give those who were impatient something to read. Will update again soon.

Part 10

Logan's foot tapped on the floor. He glanced at his watch, then continued tapping. Next, his fingers drummed on the table.

Wallace sighed and turned to Logan. "You're not banging on the door demanding for him to let you do it," he commented.

Logan frowned at Wallace, then looked back at the closed door where Keith was working. "This is too important."

Logan tapped and drummed, tapped and drummed.

Wallace took a phone from his pocket and slid it towards Logan. Logan looked at him oddly. "Call my mom."

"I doubt that your mom can take my attention off this," came the sarcastic reply.

Wallace rolled his eyes and dialed. He hit the speaker and Logan heard the ring. When Alicia answered, Wallace picked up the phone and turned off the speaker. Then he said, "Mom, put Betty on the phone." At that, Logan looked up. Wallace saw the eager delight in his friend's eyes. He grinned. "Hey Bets." Logan stuck out his hand with a determined stare. "Having fun? Yeah? Yeah? You wanna talk to your daddy? Well he's busy trying to be patient."

"If you don't hand that over right now, I'm going to pull a Weevil, strip you to a flagpole," Logan warned.

"And now he's threatening me, Betty."

"There's a school fifteen blocks down you know," Logan growled.

Wallace smirked, then placed his hand over the phone as if Betty would even understand if the baby had overheard. "You want your kid to know that her father bullies her best uncle?"

With narrowed eyes, Logan leaned over and snatched the phone from Wallace. "Hey Betty," he said. Wallace did not miss the noticeable way that Logan's voice shifted, and the way his features brightened. "Are you having fun in the car?" Even though Betty would likely not have understood enough, and from the soft feedback coming from the phone, it was apparent that Logan allowed a certain period of silence on his part. Betty took the silence as her turn to answer, and she cooed and gurgled. "What did you say—you miss me very much? Well I miss you too." Wallace winced. When Logan saw this, he waved Wallace off and stood up. Still talking on the phone as if it were the most important deal he had had to do with a superstar, Logan walked over to the living room, far away enough from Wallace to only hear bits and pieces of the one-sided conversation. "Disneyland—puppy?—diaper!—ribbons…—mommy."

Wallace finally took a magazine from the rack and started shifting through it. He was engrossed in one of the more interesting articles about a newly released Ford when he realized how long Logan had been on the phone. "Hey Logan," he said easily, not looking up from the magazine, "you're eating through my minutes." Two seconds later, a couple of hundred dollar bills was placed beside the magazine. Wallace looked up to tell Logan off. Before he could speak, he saw Logan standing over him with a big grin on his face.

"Sorry man," he said, not sounding apologetic at all but excited. "I'm going to take a little longer. I think she's close to saying 'Betty Echolls' now."

And at that, there was no way Wallace could get mad.

As Logan was walking back to the living room, the door to Keith's room opened. Logan and Wallace stared at him expectantly. Clutching the laptop to his chest, he told his audience, "Let's roll, boys!"

"Betty Echolls, daddy's got to get mommy. Bye baby. Love you."

Keith walked out the door, with Wallace and Logan rushing after him. Logan hurried to Wallace's car and got into the front seat. "Hey!" Wallace exclaimed in protest. "This is my car."

Logan shook his head. "Keith has to give directions, and I drive better."

"Excuse me," Wallace said, but got into the backseat either way.

"Faster then," Logan amended. He turned the key in the ignition and starting the car.

"Okay that I can't deny."

Keith opened the laptop and zoomed at the correct address. "It's in Crescent Valley," he said. "Follow my instructions and try not to kill us."

"I can promise my best," Logan said.

i_"Are you ready to leave him for me?"_

_She sighed and turned her head to press her lips on his bare chest. Veronica had been sleeping with her ear over his heart for as long as he could remember being with her. Slowly, her fingertips ran down from his chest to his navel. "There's really nothing wrong with Duncan," she said softly._

_Logan grabbed her hand before it could dip lower. "Try not to be talking about him while you do what you're going to do."_

_Veronica raised her head and lifted herself up on her elbows, looking down at him. She grinned, then crawled up to kiss his nose. He grabbed her by the arms and brought her crashing down on him. "As I was saying," she said, giggling and claiming his mouth with hers, "there's nothing wrong with Duncan."_

"_Veronica," he whined, "how many times do we need to repeat the rule—no Duncan in our bed."_

_She screwed her lips. "You make it sound sleazy!"_

"_Well no Duncan-talk in the bedroom," Logan protested._

"_Well I think you'll like this Duncan conversation," she informed him. She opened her mouth the same time he did. Veronica clapped a hand over his mouth, and shuddered at the feel of his tongue drawing wet circles on her palm. "Okay. So, there's nothing I can complain about with him except for one thing."_

_Logan closed his hand over her wrist and pulled off the makeshift gag. "What?" he said softly._

"_He's not you," she said, then kissed around his mouth. "If I used my brain I'd stay with him. I choose to use my heart now." Veronica saw the moisture in his eyes, and kissed the edges where the tears started to seep out. "Sorry for having to shut you up."_

"_If you're going to say things like that, then it's perfectly fine," he assured her. He rolled them over so that she lay under him with her golden hair framing her face against the pillow. "I love you. So much."_

"_Beary much?"_

"_Beary beary much," he breathed./_i

"Logan, turn right."

"Logan, man, Keith said to turn right!"

Logan snapped out of his reverie and swerved to the right. "Sorry," he mumbled. "So I go straight now right?"

"Yeah. Just stay on this road until I tell you," Keith instructed.

Logan wondered what his life would have been like if Veronica had been able to leave Duncan the way they had planned. If so, he was certain that Keith would be calling him son by now. He probably would have half the success he had now because he would have to move away from Hollywood. If he stayed, he would still not have the same filmography because instead of working those late nights in the office, Logan would be at home reading to Betty or fixing dinner with a wife who can make adorable pasta and lopsided cakes.

In the meantime, in another car a little further down the road, Duncan Kane glanced at his rearview mirror and saw a brown car that had been following him since the convenience store. "FBI?" he wondered to himself. It was possible. He was tailing the FBI agent and other FBI agents probably wanted to keep Dawson safe.

When Dawson stopped in front of a green house, Duncan parked a couple of blocks away. The brown car sped past him and stopped just behind Dawson's car. Duncan frowned and watched as Dawson ran towards the house. The man in the brown car stepped out of the car. When the unidentified man drew out a gun, Duncan muttered, "Shit!"

It seemed like slow motion when the man pointed the gun at Dawson's back and shot clean. The FBI agent fell to his knees and dropped facedown on the ground. The shooter then looked up at the house. Duncan looked up and saw the door open.

His breath caught at the sight. Veronica Mars, his cheating fiancé and ideal girlfriend, stood in plain sight. She stared in horror at the sight of the agent, the only person she must have been seeing for the past months, killed in front of her home. When the shooter raised his gun again towards Veronica, Duncan slammed out and ran towards the shooter, screaming madly like a banshee to take her attention off his target. The man turned to Duncan's fast approaching form. Duncan slammed headfirst into the shooter's stomach, then tackled the shooter to the ground.

"Veronica!" Duncan screamed, not looking at her. Instead, he tried to keep the shooter on the ground. "My phone is in my car," he yelled. "Better call the police here!"

Duncan turned the guy over, and glared down at him. He recognized the face vaguely, from the night he went home to the apartment to see a man running away from the building. It was the same night she vanished. His sight went red. This was one of the attackers, a drug dealer who was part of the destruction of the future that Duncan planned. Duncan hit the man's jaw. "Aaaaahhhh!" Duncan yelled, then punched the man over and over.

Veronica scrambled down the steps and ran towards the car. The shooter pushed Duncan off him. The gun lay beside the tire. If she grabbed it, it would be so easy for the man to pry it off her fingers. She kicked it under the car. Veronica grabbed the phone and dialed 911. That was when the man grabbed her by her hair and pulled her away from the car and set her rolling on the ground.

"You—ruined—us!" the man yelled. He went down on all fours and tried to reach for the gun from under the car. Veronica grabbed his ankle and started pulling. He kicked swiftly, delivering a blow to her nose. Still, she clung and pulled.

"Duncan!" she screamed, "Grab the gun."

Duncan shook his head to recover from the blow delivered to him. He then went down on all fours to take the gun. The shooter turned and grabbed her by the throat. He started squeezing, and Veronica gagged. Her eyesight became blurry and black spots danced around her sight. She saw, as she fast approached oblivion, Duncan standing over the shooter. "The gun," she choked out, "first."

Duncan shook his head and jumped on the back of the man. The two men dropped on the ground and tackled each other. "Run!" Duncan commanded.

"No." Veronica crawled under the car and took the gun. She pointed it over to the men rolling on the cement floor. She focused on her target, but the movement did not allow her to fire.

In the scuffle that ensued, Duncan ended up the last one down, clutching his stomach. The shooter quickly whipped around and slammed his elbow on her jaw. Veronica dropped the gun.

"Veronica, just run!" Duncan cried. "For Logan and the kid."

Veronica watched as if frozen as the man she loved, lied to and betrayed struggled against a criminal for a gun. Her heart stopped when the shooter grasped it. Duncan kicked the man, then stood up and took Veronica's hand. "RUN." She started running, pulled along by Duncan. "Into the house," he shouted into her ear. Her eardrums throbbed from pain. Then a shot shattered her peace as it exploded beside him and Duncan grunted. She stopped just when his hand tightened around hers, then slackened. Duncan fell onto his side. Veronica kneeled beside him. "Don't be stubborn and just fucking run, Veronica," Duncan said. "We don't belong together," he winced. "Not even in a massacre body count." He closed his eyes tightly to fight against the pain.

"Dammit, Duncan," she sobbed. Veronica dropped a kiss on his forehead then ran towards the house, with the killer close behind.

tbc


	11. Chapter 11

Part 11

Keith Mars slowed down the car in front of the house from where the blinking red signal had been steadily coming from. His profession taught him to remain calm when on the verge of a case. However, the sight of two male bodies with bloody pools underneath them shot that calmness to hell. No matter how many times you saw corpses, you never get used to it – especially when they lay outside the place where you had only just found out your daughter had been living.

"Is that Duncan Kane?" he said hesitantly.

Logan immediately jumped out before the car fully stopped and made his way to the body that was undoubtedly his best friend. "Duncan?" The gaping hole from where the dark blood had come from made Logan wince. Logan started to reach for his friend. He saw how his hands trembled, and fisted them tightly. When he managed some semblance of control, he took Duncan by the shoulders and turned him over. "Dead men can't beat assholes," Logan reminded his friend as he placed his fingers on the pulse point of Duncan's neck.

"He's dead." Logan turned quickly to where Wallace was kneeling beside Agent Dawson. "Shot went clear through the spine. No way he could have survived this," Wallace told Keith.

Keith turned to Logan.

"He's alive," Logan choked out. "Barely. Get an ambulance." He jumped up suddenly, then strode over to the house.

"Logan, stay back here." Keith took his gun from his back pocket and drew out his gun. "This person is armed and dangerous."

"Veronica's inside," Logan said. "Duncan Kane was not going to get shot for nothing."

"Logan—"

"Don't do this to me, Keith."

Not wanting to lose any more time, Keith nodded curtly. "No stupid actions. No rash decisions," the older man reminded.

"I've got a little girl waiting for me," Logan said, as if that answered Keith's concerns. It did. He looked down at Duncan, then looked over at Wallace, who was using Keith's phone.

Wallace waved him off. "I'll take care of him, man."

Logan nodded gratefully. Then he leaned down and squeezed his friend's shoulder. "Hang on, man." He then followed closely behind Keith.

Keith grasped the gun tightly and motioned for Logan to stay back. He kicked the door open. Keith looked around and saw the house empty. He pointed to the stairs. "I'm going up. Lay low," he instructed. Slowly, he made his way up the stairs all the while watching out for signs of other people inside.

A crash from the second floor brought Logan running inside and up the stairs. Keith glared at Logan, silently telling him to stay away. Logan hid behind the column.

"Who's there?" someone yelled from upstairs.

Keith looked up, and was thrown back by the sight. It was his daughter. The concept of Veronica being alive had been a grand idea when they were proving it on paper. However, he had not prepared himself enough for seeing his baby girl in the flesh. From the corner of his eye, he glanced at Logan, who at that angle had not seen her yet. Veronica was held by the man that Keith recognized from the sketch artist image that Duncan had helped provide. This was one of the two who attacked Veronica and Wallace in Duncan's college apartment, the man who Duncan had seen running away from their building that night. This was the one last criminal that Agent Dawson had needed to find in order to close the case. At this exact moment, he was holding a gun to Veronica's temple.

"Put it down!" demanded the man.

Keith held Veronica's tearful gaze. "Daddy," she mouthed.

"I'm not going to let him hurt you, Veronica."

She closed her eyes, and Keith saw the tears she tried to hold back roll down her cheeks. His promise was so easy to make, but Keith knew his daughter was smart enough to know that the guy had the ace.

At the sound of the name, Logan stepped away from the pillar and the wall. He fed on the sight, drank in her figure until he knew he was going to crawl into bed and happily die. "Ronnie," he whispered, softly enough that no one would hear him. Veronica's eyes opened and she turned her gaze towards where Logan was standing, so spot on that he wondered how she knew that he was going to be where he was. Their eyes locked, and Logan was thankful for each second that he had to struggle to keep breathing. His heart contracted at the sight of her. She had a bloody nose, scrapes on one side of her face and a bruising that covered a side of her forehead down to her cheek.

"Relax. I'm going to put down the gun if you'll just let my daughter go."

The gun jabbed deeper into her temple, and Veronica barely reacted. When Keith saw where her daughter was focused, he did not turn. There was no use giving Logan up to the man.

"Are you crazy?" the man yelled in a high pitch. "She ruined everything! And if I let her go, everything's over. We're all getting the death sentence!"

"Veronica will not testify against you," Keith said, trying to calm the man. "You've killed Agent Dawson. Just let her go home with me and you'll go scot-free. Not even the FBI will be able to find us."

For a split second, the man seemed to consider it. Then he focused once more on the gun in Keith's hand. "Drop the gun or I swear I'll kill her. I got nothing to lose."

"All right, all right." Keith raised his hands. He placed the gun down on the step. "Now let her go."

"Now I want you to walk down the stairs, Mr Mars." The man pushed Veronica forward. "We're going for a ride." Veronica stumbled forward. She was going to be his shield. She had seen enough hostage dramas to know that. There was no way he would hand her over to her father. "Get me as far as the border and you're free," he promised Veronica.

She nodded. The man had shot Agent Dawson and Duncan in cold blood. She would never trust him. It would make her life easier if he thought she trusted him though. The grip on her arm relaxed.

"I didn't want to hurt anyone. You know that, right?"

"Of course," she answered tightly.

The moment they reached the door, the man heard the police siren. Keith snatched the gun the moment the man whipped around and pulled Veronica along with him back up the stairs. "You freaks! You called the cops!" He stumbled up the steps with Veronica. He pointed the gun at Keith when he reached the top step again.

"You have a dead federal agent outside. Don't you think they'd have sent backup when he didn't respond to their call?"

The man pushed Veronica down. She fell on her hands and knees. "I'm not going down without taking you with me." He grabbed her by her hair and laid the gun on the back of her head. "See you in hell."

"Sorry Keith," he muttered. Logan launched himself towards the killer, weaponless except for rage. The way that the killer turned the barrel towards him would be imprinted in his brain, he knew. Veronica screamed when the gun turned to Logan and went off. Through the haze of pain he saw Veronica unfold herself from the floor and grab the man's wrist.

Logan had fallen facedown on the floor. He tried to pull himself up but the cold numbness on his shoulder weighed him down. Logan started to stand, but fell heavily back down. Instead, frozen by terror, he watched Veronica struggle with the man right by the railing. The door downstairs opened and he heard Keith call out information to the police.

Logan's eyes fluttered closed, but he forced them open. He had lost two years of looking at her. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut to fight off the pain, and he wondered if Duncan felt this helpless just hours ago. Logan struggled to sit up, and ended up leaning on his unhurt elbow.

"We can't get a clear shot," one of the men in fighting black said.

"I've got a thirty percent shot of hitting her."

"Take it."

Logan watched in horror as the man pulled on the trigger. He almost saw the bullet's path as it hit the man on the hip. Then, as if it was a scene from a nightmare, the man grabbed Veronica by both arms and gripped her as his body slammed against the railing and fell. Logan heard Veronica's scream as she sailed over the railing and fell.

"No," Logan whispered in disbelief. The police was supposed to help rescue her. She was not supposed to fall because of them. Grunting against the pain, Logan pulled himself up and staggered up on his feet. When he tried to move, he fell to his knees. The next thing he knew, Wallace was there helping to pull him up. Wallace led him to the railing and they looked down at where the entwined bodies had fallen.

The paramedics had been allowed in once they cuffed the criminal. Keith Mars leaned over his daughter.

"Don't move her yet," a toneless voice reminded him. A female paramedic arrived with a neck collar. "Just for precaution." Logan waited as they placed the brace on Veronica.

"It's my arm," came the familiar voice.

Logan's knees buckled at the sound. "She's alive," he mumbled.

"Duncan is too. He's in surgery to take out the bullet from his back," Wallace informed him.

Logan's eyes closed and he allowed darkness to take him.

Keith sat on the chair beside Veronica's hospital bed and the nurse finished up Veronica's arm cast. He watched her daughter blinking away tears that still managed to find their way down her cheeks. When the nurse left, he placed his hand on top of her unhurt one.

"Sweetheart, are you ready to see your daughter?"

Veronica looked up at her father in surprise. "You know?"

Keith smiled and nodded. "What kind of PI am I if I didn't find out?" he teased. "Actually, what kind of man will not see his daughter's eyes in his granddaughter?"

"Wallace told you," she concluded.

Keith shook his head. "Actually, it was the sight of Logan Echolls recognizing her that told me."

Veronica pulled her hand out of her father's hand and covered her lips. Then she started wiping away her tears.

"Veronica, Logan's fine. It was a pretty bad shoulder wound, but he didn't get any major organ or arteries damaged," Keith told her. "It's over, Veronica."

She shook her head. "You don't understand, dad. I lost so much because of people I don't even know. I hurt Duncan, then he tries to save me, and I get him killed!"

"Hey!" Keith took his daughter in his arms for a tight embrace. "Duncan's in intensive care." She looked up at her father with hope. "It's going to take time for him to recover because he lost a lot of blood, but he's going to be fine. And you have no idea how proud I am for what you've done. As for hurting Duncan," Keith paused, and Veronica saw in her father's expression the sad recollection of what Lianne did to him, "that's something you and Logan need to speak with Duncan about."

She nodded and took her father's hand. She raised it to her lips and kissed it. "I missed you, daddy," she said, becoming his little girl again despite everything that she had been through.

To that, Keith had only one response. He cupped her face and brushed his thumb at the edge of her large bruise. "I missed you, Veronica," he said. He then kissed her on the forehead. "Do you want me to go check on Duncan for you?" She nodded.

Keith opened the door and saw Logan in the corridor in a wheelchair being pushed by the nurse. He grinned at the sight of a pissed off Logan.

"I am not going to be wheeled in there," he insisted. "This is the woman I'm in love with. This is our reunion after a very long time! I am walking in there."

"Mr Echolls," the nurse said firmly, "it's either see her in a chair or not see her at all. I'm already doing you a favor here. You're supposed to be resting."

Keith chuckled. The nurse could rein in the stubborn young man with a threat. At the same time, he also understood Logan's point of view. "How about you wheel him right to the door and let him walk in on his own?"

Both seemed amenable to the suggestion. Keith watched as the nurse helped Logan out of the chair. He shook his head. Instead of being so persistent about the chair, Logan should have paid a little more attention to the fact that he was in a hospital gown for that reunion.

Keith proceeded to the intensive care unit. Outside, he saw Wallace looking through the glass doors. "Any change?"

Wallace smiled at Keith and nodded. "He'll be in a regular room in a few hours. The rich kid is resilient. Would've thought a bullet wound would put him down for at least three months. Doctor said with the speed he's recovering, he can start playing sports in a month."

"That's good to hear. Did you talk to your mom?"

"She was a little miffed about having to fly back when she just finished driving up there," Wallace shared. "When I told her about Veronica, she said they'll fly."

When the door to her hospital room opened, Veronica expected it to be her father informing her of Duncan's condition. The moment she saw Logan, she let out a stifled cry and reached for him. Logan broke into a relieved smile and gathered her in his arms, wincing through the pain that he action caused. She pulled away and pushed back the hospital gown to see the large bandage covering his wound.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Logan shook his head and took her face in both hands. She knew it had to be painful, but was grateful that he was there and he was taking her lips with his so gently and carefully that his kiss today became the antithesis of all the other more passionate kisses that they had shared in the length of their relationship.

"You're going to have to marry me now," he said softly.

"I got you hurt again," she said.

"It's nothing. I got you again remember?"

Veronica rested her head against his chest. "I feel like I've not slept for two years," she told him.

"I'll let you sleep if you'll answer my question."

"You didn't exactly ask anything," she told him. Veronica grew somber. "We can start making arrangements after we talk to Duncan, alright?"

Logan helped her move to her side and then lay down beside her on the narrow hospital bed. He ran his hand down the smooth cement of her cast. "This is probably the first time we're in bed together and you're not trying to get into my pants," he whispered in her ear.

Veronica giggled, then sighed wearily. "I missed you, Logan." Hanging over the air between them was her silent apology that he would only be angered if she voiced. Lost years aside, Logan finally had the world.

"Love you to death, Ronnie." He closed his eyes and wondered how the years went by so fast. When he first saw her when she was twelve years old, she was a cute little girl who was unattainable. She was clean and pure and perfect, and the ideal girl only deserved the ideal boy. Now they were both marred by hell on earth it seemed almost a crime that they were so close to heaven like this. "And I guess I missed you a little bit too."

She fell asleep in his arms, and it was another piece of heaven for Logan. In all their encounters, she had been afraid to fall asleep. They were always caught in the stolen moments of time that they needed to prolong for as long as they were able. There was no such fear now. Logan cherished the moment and watched the steady rise and fall of her chest.

An hour later, Veronica opened her eyes and felt the body behind her. She smiled and turned slightly to look at Logan sleeping. His arms around her tightened, and Veronica burrowed deeper in his arms. Comforted by his presence, she allowed herself to fall asleep again.

When she woke up next, the room was dark and she was alone in bed. Veronica sat up with a pounding heart, afraid that the last day had been a dream and she was still dead to the world and hidden by the government. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the figure silhouetted against the window.

"Logan," she prompted.

He turned around and Veronica saw the precious thing he sleeping against his chest. She gasped and tears gathered in her eyes. "Veronica," he said, "I'm afraid I have to tell you that you are no longer the sole most important person in my life." Logan grinned at the Veronica's face. "Meet my other woman. Her name is Elizabeth Fennel, but Keith has already helped me process the papers and by close of business tomorrow, she'll be Elizabeth Echolls."

Veronica slid out of the bed and approached them almost reluctantly.

"She doesn't bite."

Veronica wiped away a tear. "Well you obviously didn't breastfeed her on her first months," she snarked. She touched the baby's cheek. "May I?"

"Can you?" Logan asked, looking at her cast.

"If you help me," she answered. Logan placed Betty on Veronica's unhurt arm. Veronica laughed and cried at the same time when Betty buried her face in her neck. "She's so pretty."

"So her mommy says."

"Are you kidding me?" Veronica huffed. "You don't mean to tell me you don't find her gorgeous."

"She looks like you," Logan said, leaning down to kiss Veronica on the lips. "Morning, sleepyhead," he greeted. "I have it on the best authority that this is the best-looking girl in America."

"Whose authority?" she said suspiciously.

"It was a vote. Mine, Keith's, Alicia's, Wallace's."

"Duncan's?" she asked.

"He hasn't really been forthcoming about what he thinks of Betty."

"Oh." Veronica walked over to the chair beside the window and sat down. Betty whimpered and started fussing, and Veronica struggled not to drop her when she only had one functional hand. Logan moved to help her, but she stayed him. Instead, she started shaking the baby to and fro, jiggling her, and humming. Logan watched in fascination. "I learned it on the first months when she was with me," she told Logan softly. "Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird. And if that mockingbird don't sing, daddy's gonna buy you a diamond ring."

One moment, he was chuckling and promising that he could afford to buy Betty ten—one for each finger. The next moment, Logan was sitting down with his hands covering his face. His shoulders trembling.

"Logan, what's wrong?" she asked. "Why are you crying?"

He looked up with red-rimmed eyes. "Because I almost never saw this," he told her honestly. "Because I thought I would never see this."

Veronica nodded in understanding. "Come here, Logan." He knelt beside her and Betty and laid is hand on Betty's back. "Move your hand in circles slowly. It's going to calm her." She leaned down and kissed Logan. "I promise, Logan, that there will be so many memories that you're going to be there for. I will marry you, and I will have more babies with you. We start planning after we give Duncan the closure he always deserved," Veronica told him. "Tomorrow, we talk to Duncan. And then we can move on."

_i"Just one more day, then the whole world."/_i

"All right," he breathed against her lips. "We'll be a family, Veronica, and we're not going to hide anything again."

Just one more day.

tbc


	12. Chapter 12

Part 12

Veronica knocked tentatively on the door. She listened closely for Duncan's voice, but Logan turned the knob and opened the door himself.

"He's not exactly going to be able to jump up from the bed to admit you," he reasoned.

Veronica shrugged. Her eyes fell to Betty, who was grinning at her from Logan's arm. "You know Uncle Duncan?" Betty's grin did not fade. "I guess you do, or you're eerily responseless, which will make you your father's daughter."

"Blame me again," Logan muttered lightly.

"She's looking more like you every day," Veronica said before entering Duncan's hospital room. She looked in on Duncan and announced, "Hey Duncan. We're here."

The man on the bed slowly turned his head. His gaze fell at once on Veronica, because even if he had already seen her, he still could not believe that she was real. He had been mourning her loss for too long. "Hey baby," he greeted, falling back into the endearment he had been using for her since she became his girlfriend during their sophomore year. Once the pet name left his lips, Veronica glanced quickly at the man beside her, and Duncan was forced to notice the presence of Logan Echolls. With that acknowledgment, Duncan also had to see the child he had, since discovering its paternity, mostly ignored. "Logan."

"Hey Duncan," Logan said with a tight smile. "How are you doing?"

Duncan did not look at Logan as he answered. Instead, his focus was on Betty, who now was staring intently at him. "Bedridden for some time," Duncan answered honest. "Sore. But otherwise fine."

Veronica noticed how Duncan looked at her daughter. She turned to Logan and reached for Betty, who immediately went to her. "We came by to talk to you," she said.

_i"I came by to talk," Logan declared as he closed the door behind him and walked over to Duncan's bed. He reached for the remote control to turn off the television that Duncan had been blindly watching._

_Duncan tried to snatch the remote control again. When Logan refused to hand it over, Duncan growled, "Get out of here."_

"_When will you get over this?" Logan demanded. He did not want to be standing right where he was at that moment. He could so easily spend the night watching Veronica sleep. He had too many nights to make up for, but this had to be done. Veronica was so intent on speaking with Duncan that he was not willing to have her speak with a Duncan who would shut her out._

"_Who the hell are you to act so high and mighty?" Duncan cried. "What you did to me—"_

"_How many times have I apologized, Duncan?" Logan said, his voice dropping. "I can only do it so many times."_

"_It's not that easy."_

"_I know it's not." Logan rubbed his face with his hand in frustration. "If it happened to me, I'd probably have killed you," he admitted. "Duncan, I understand what you're feeling, but I will not stand idly by while you act this way around my family."_

"_I've not touched your kid. And I will not seek Veronica out," Duncan spat out his promise._

_Logan shook his head. "Veronica wants to take Betty here tomorrow so she can talk to you, show you her daughter, fix everything."_

"_So the cynical girl switches back to an ideal world mode when it suits her."_

"_She deserves it," was Logan's answer.i_

"Are you sure this is okay, Duncan?" Veronica asked tentatively.

"Of course," Duncan affirmed, and Logan released a breath of relief. "Logan's my brother, you know."

"Wallace can so carry that better than you can!" Veronica exclaimed.

Duncan smiled, because the sight of Veronica carrying a miniature version of herself was simply too adorable for him to continue to stonewall. "Well Logan's family is my family. Not to mention the fact that Betty was almost mine."

Veronica stepped closer to Duncan, near enough that Betty was able to hook her feet on the sides of Duncan's hospital bed. "I'll always be your family, Duncan," Veronica offered, "Logan or not." She glanced at Logan quickly, then turned back to her former fiancé. "I haven't talked to Logan about this yet, but I wanted to know if you would be willing to be Betty's godfather."

"So if you and Logan die," Duncan clarified, smirking at a displeased Logan for the first time, "I get Betty."

Veronica nodded. "You don't have to worry about expenses though. I'll personally make sure that Betty has enough to pay her own way whatever happens."

Logan was about to protest at what Veronica was saying, when Duncan chuckled. "I'm not exactly the type of person who needs to worry about college money for my best friends' kid." Veronica beamed.

_iLogan sighed. When it came to Duncan, butting heads was not the answer unless you wanted to keep on attack mode. Duncan never attacked first. "Look, Duncan, Veronica and I made a huge mistake that I doubt either of us will regret," he said, remembering the sight of his daughter sucking on her own thumb._

"_Hard to regret when you got something so beautiful out of it," Duncan retorted._

"_Oh you know Betty?" Logan prompted._

_Duncan glared at him. "What are you trying to do?"_

"_It's just that you haven't exactly paid any attention to her since you found out her paternity," Logan told him. "And I just know if Veronica sees how you treat her daughter, she's going to be shattered. You mean too much to her. Do you even know what Betty looks like?"_

"_Betty looks like she could've been mine with the number of features she got from you," Duncan pointed out./i_

His answer seemed to satisfy Veronica. Her smile said everything she wanted to express. Holding Betty up, she said, "Well Betty's just going to stay up here with Uncle Duncan, who's also her godfather." Veronica placed Betty on the bed to sit beside Duncan. Betty turned back to her mother and reached up her arms in a motion to asking to be carried.

When Logan looked at Veronica, he noticed the strain pulling at her cheeks. Placing Betty on the bed was half for Duncan and also half to relieve the weight from her arm. Logan stepped closer to the bed and patted Betty on the back, unwilling to take Betty from where Veronica had placed her. If she wanted Duncan to be godfather, he would not say no.

"Are you okay?" Logan heard Duncan ask quietly.

Veronica nodded. "It's nothing. You're the one that got shot."

"And you're the one who fell from the second floor."

She grinned. "I don't know if we can actually compare, and I can't believe we've sank to the level when we have to compare injuries."

Comforted by her father's presence, Betty began playing with Duncan's stomach, drumming with tiny fists. Duncan's eyes met Logan's. Finally, Duncan nodded in acknowledgment. "I think you've got a rockstar."

Logan laughed. "Soon she'd be headbanging." And when Betty started to, Logan lifted her up, afraid that she would unknowingly injure Duncan further. "Are you sure you weren't seeing Leo while you were pregnant with Betty?" he jokingly asked Veronica. "Because I was not fond of heavy metal the way Betty seems to be." Logan held Betty up by her armpits, then held her up to face him. "Tchaikovsy," he told her. "Beethoven and Mozart. Princess, there are a lot of classics for you out there."

Duncan started laughing, because Logan sure shuddered at the type of music he was telling his daughter about now. Veronica's hand closed over his, and squeezed. He looked at Veronica. "I want to say thank you, Duncan. You saved my life."

i_"I wish we can just move on," Logan said sadly. "If we can't, I hope we can settle the score without involving Veronica and Betty."_

_Duncan was tired of the anger and the feeling of betrayal. All he knew was that he wanted to end it all, but he was not willing to let Veronica out of his life, even if her staying in it meant hurting every day. He cautioned, "I'll never fully trust you again."_

_To that, Logan replied calmly, "You never did."_

"_So that's it?" Duncan prompted. "We used to be friends. Now we won't be able to turn our backs on each other."_

"_I don't know how you feel about me," Logan told his friend. "Personally, I trust you. You took a bullet to save Veronica. I'll owe you for life."_

"_So did you."_

_Logan nodded slowly. "Which means there's something inside both of us inherently the same. I gotta trust in that."/i_

She turned around and told Logan, "Can you take Betty outside? I need to talk to Duncan alone."

Logan's first reaction was reluctance, but after a few seconds, he merely nodded and took the baby with him. When the door closed behind him, Veronica opened her mouth. Then, she stopped, and started again.

"You don't need to, Veronica," Duncan said, guessing what she was going to do.

"Hey. I owe you an apology," she began.

"Logan already gave it," he said, willing her to take it.

"Logan's not me," Veronica said. She sat up on the side of his bed and took her hand in his. "If I don't get to say it, I won't ever be happy living with Logan and Betty. I don't want to have everything knowing that I got it at your expense, Duncan."

"It's okay," Duncan mumbled. He reached for the offending tear that hung from her lashes.

"You were wonderful. There was nothing about you that made me want out," she explained. "And I don't want to be unfair to you by leaving that question in your mind." She lifted his hand and kissed his knuckles. "And believe it or not, Duncan, I'm going to love you forever."

He nodded, then chucked her at the chin. "Thank you," he said. "I'll love you forever too." Despite the words, he knew that they were speaking of different things.

She smiled and remembered the great number of dreams she had as a young girl that all grew out of the fantasy of marrying Duncan and being Mrs Kane. She laid down beside him, with his arm as her pillow, as she thought of everything that she wanted and would be leaving behind once she stepped out the door with Logan Echolls. Duncan drew her close and kissed the top of her head, breathing in the scent that he would forever associate with dreams he would later flush down the toilet when she left with his best friend and he heaved dryly all the regret that came from not being able to be her husband, the way they planned the night before their high school graduation.

"Veronica."

"Hmmm?"

"It was my mom," he said.

She found it odd for Duncan to mention his mother, when he stopped talking to her after Veronica told him about her encounter with Celeste on graduation day. "What is, Duncan?"

"The pictures came from my mom. I found out one year after you vanished."

i_He closed his eyes and felt the wind blowing through his hair like fingers massaging his head. Over time he had been told that the hurt would heal and he would begin to feel again. Twelve months to the day she left him, Duncan was still an empty shell that he found no willingness to fill._

_Cold hands settled on his shoulders, then moved to his back to rub in circular patterns that were meant to comfort but only numbed him even more. "Forget it, Duncan," Celeste urged from behind him. "You deserve a full life. Don't tie yourself down to the memory of a woman who didn't even love you enough to be faithful."_

_The words took a long time to pierce through the haze of his brain. Slowly, Duncan turned his head and saw his mother smiling down at him. "What did you say?"_

"_She was never going to be good enough for you," Celeste explained. "I should probably be thankful for whatever happened, because it got you out of a relationship that you shouldn't be trapped in. She cheated on you with Logan Echolls."_

"_How do you know that?" Duncan demanded._

"_Oh sweetie, it's nothing to be ashamed of. You were the victim."_

"_I repeat, mom, how do you know that?"_

_Celeste smiled softly and placed a cold kiss on Duncan's eyebrow. "You saw the pictures, honey. You don't have to lie."/_i

Veronica swallowed deeply and blinked away the tears. Celeste Kane had done her damage and it was all in the past. She wouldn't be able to hurt her now. "Duncan," she said, "your mom was never going to approve of us, but she was the least of our problems."

"I know what our real problem was," Duncan offered.

"Really?"

Duncan nodded, and although she couldn't see it, she felt his movement. "You were always more in love with someone else."

Veronica's lips curved into a smile, because he sounded so matter-of-fact now about it that she knew Duncan Kane was going to be alright. She sat up and he helped her so that she would not need to put any weight on her injured arm. "We'll see you on Betty's birthday," she said.

Duncan nodded. "She is my goddaughter, after all."

Veronica kissed Duncan on the cheek and again whispered, "Thanks, Duncan." She walked over to the door and pulled it open to see Logan sitting on the bench outside, with Betty on his knees as he jarred her up and down yelling, "Heee yaaaah! Heee yaaah!" Betty laughed the entire time, enjoying the cowboy girl game.

Logan looked up when Veronica closed the door to Duncan's room. "Hey sugarpuss," he greeted. "Ready to plan your wedding?"

Veronica took a deep breath, then knelt in front of Logan and Betty. He looked at her in confusion, but did not tell her to stand up. She cupped his face with one free hand and kissed him on the lips. "Yes," she said simply.

Logan grinned. He turned to Betty and assessed her. "Think she can be a flower girl?" he asked Veronica.

"Yes," Veronica answered.

"Your dad has to walk you down the aisle. We'll be very traditional, okay?"

"Yes."

"Is this forever, Ronnie?"

Veronica stood up and then sat next to him on the bench, then laid her head on his shoulder. Mimicking her mother, Betty laid her head on Logan's other shoulder as well. "Yes!" Betty exclaimed.

Veronica laughed along with Logan, then said, "Definitely."

fin


End file.
